Finding Heaven
by knicnort3
Summary: Edward is a non-veggie Volturi Guard who's main job is 'fishing' with Heidi. He likes his job until he comes across a certain 'fish' who completely captivates him and possibly changes him forever.* E/B *Sum inside *AU*OOC*CITRUS conts.DARKWARD
1. Preface

**Finding Heaven**

Description: _Edward was the newest member of the Volturi guard, picked for his ability to read minds, as well as his beauty. Aside from listening to everyone's thoughts for Aro, his main job was 'fishing' with Heidi. He enjoyed his work until he comes across a certain 'fish' who completely captivates him. Will his obsession with Bella cause him to try out the 'vegetarian' lifestyle, or will he succumb to his nature?_

_An alternate version of 'Twilight' and 'Breaking Dawn' (Let's leave 'New Moon' and 'Eclipse' out of this, shall we) so if you don't like certain aspects of BD i.e. monster hybrid baby, then perhaps this isn't the story for you._

_AU, canon parings, slightly OOC, lemony encounters_

_Edward and Bella POVs, except for the preface, which is written in the third person._

_Disclaimer__: Stephenie Meyer owns all Twilight characters and story lines. No copyright infringement is intended. All settings and characters, etc. are the property of their respective owners. All subsequent chapters fall under the same disclaimer._

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_**~Preface~**_

_**Illinois 1918**_

"Why must you still work for them, they are awful creatures who do nothing but use you?" Carmen asked her mate Eleazar.

"The Volturi don't let their guard break away cleanly. I was allowed to leave with you, but I always knew that they may call on me again one day." He told her.

"So, what is it exactly that they're looking for?"

"Aro heard of the Spanish flu epidemic occurring here, and he wants me to travel the hospitals to see if there are any humans worth saving."

Eleazar and Carmen walked through multiple hospitals, searching for any latent abilities which may be useful to the Volturi once they are turned into a vampire. They had already been to North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and have since begun their search in Illinois. After still coming up empty handed in Rockford, the couple decided to move on strait to Chicago.

"Do you smell that?" Carmen asked.

"Are you referring to that awful stench of rotting corpses?"

"No. Smell again, my love."

Eleazar took a deep breath. "Ah yes, there are vampires in this city. Perhaps we should move on right away. The last thing we need right now is to run into any trouble."

"But it smells like the vampire is in that hospital over there. Do you think a vampire is actually feeding on the ill?"

"Most wouldn't choose to feed on the ill, the smell alone is nauseating, but I'd assume it would be easy pickings, it's not like human diseases can be transferred to us." Eleazar considered.

"Oh, those poor humans. They have enough to worry about than to become a vampire's meal. Eleazar, we should check it out."

"My dear, those people will probably die anyway. It's actually better that the vampires are feeding on them as opposed to healthy humans with their whole lives ahead of them."

A man with golden hair, walked out of the hospital and locked eyes with Eleazar. At first glance, Eleazar thought he was just another human, because he was wearing a doctor's coat, but then he realized that the man was actually the vampire who they had smelled.

The golden haired vampire walked cautiously over to Eleazar and Carmen. "Hello, my name is Carlisle" he said and extended his hand out to Eleazar, to greet him with a handshake.

"You are a vegetarian?" Eleazar asked shocked.

"As are the two of you. I'm very pleased to meet you; I've never come across any other who share my affinity for human life." Carlisle said while shaking hands.

"Yes, we too thought we were alone in this world. I'm Eleazar, and this is my mate Carmen."

"If you're a vegetarian, then why are you in the hospital with the humans?" Carmen asked.

"As unbelievable as it sounds, I'm a doctor. I work in this hospital, but unfortunately, my time here is up and I must move on."

"You are able to work around blood?" Eleazar asked fascinated.

"Yes, well, I've been doing it for a very long time. It wasn't always easy, but I've grown accustom to it. I've actually never even tasted human blood until yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Carmen asked.

"I've decided to take a companion. I've walked this world alone for two hundred years, and I have never found anyone who shared my beliefs. But I felt a strange connection with a boy who was dying here, and so I acted rash and decided to change him. He is still enduring the transformation now, but I had to leave briefly to retrieve a few personal items at this hospital before he awakes, and we must leave the area."

"Wonderful. I have never transformed anyone myself, but I have always wondered about the process. Do you mind us traveling with you for a while so we can observe the newborn ourselves?" Eleazar asked.

Carlisle was reluctant to agree because he didn't know these vampires, but he considered the indisputable fact that they were vegetarians like him, as evident by their golden eyes, so he figured they may be of use while trying to initiate his new son into the world of vampires.

"Sure, of course." Carlisle agreed, and led the way to his apartment.

When the three vampires arrived at the small apartment, the freshly bitten boy was lying on the couch with his face distorted in the torture of the venom burning through his system.

"Oh, poor child." Carmen commented.

"Yes, I have agonized over my decision to turn him, and even more so as I watched his pain, but I can't bring myself to regret it. There was just something about him that I couldn't turn my back on."

"Oh Carlisle, you have made yourself a very talented companion, indeed." Eleazar said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Eleazar has a gift of sensing vampire's extra abilities, as well as their latent forms in humans." Carmen explained.

"How interesting, and you believe Edward has an extra ability?"

"Yes, he has a very special talent of telepathy. He will be able to read the minds of anyone and everyone around him. What a wonderful and _useful _gift." Eleazar was a good man and had no desire to betray his new friend, but the boy's ability was exactly the kind of thing he had been searching for, and whether he left Carlisle and his new son in peace or not, Aro would soon know of his existence anyway. If Eleazar couldn't figure out a way to take the boy back to Italy, then the Volturi will come for him, and kill Carlisle in the process.

"Carlisle, when was the last time you fed? Your eyes appear to be darkening." Eleazar said quickly.

"Well, I admit, it has been a while. I've been so consumed with the needs of the sick at the hospital, and now with Edward going through the transformation, I just haven't found the time to go hunting. Besides, I figured I can go when Edward wakes, he'll need some instruction on hunting animals."

"Oh, that's not a good idea Carlisle" Carmen jumped in. "As a newborn, he will be very strong and may need to be restrained for one reason or another, it's best if you're at your full strength before he wakes."

"Yes, I guess that is true. I just hate to leave him while he's so vulnerable like this. I had to leave briefly earlier, and it was extremely difficult for me."

"Fear not my friend; we will stay with him until you return." Eleazar offered.

"I don't know. I really want to be here for him when he wakes."

"Carlisle, he will be burning for another day at least, please, go fed yourself. It must have been very difficult for you to bite him without killing him, when you were already thirsty." Carmen told him.

"It was definitely not the easiest thing I've done." Carlisle said honestly. "Yes, well perhaps I will take you up on your offer."

"You can trust us" Carmen assured him.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate this. After two hundred years, it's nice to know that I'm not completely alone in this world, and there are kind people like you out there." Carlisle said, then turned and left.

"Quickly, we must move him before he wakes or Carlisle returns." Eleazar said to his mate.

"What are you talking about, where are we moving him?" Carmen asked confused.

"He is exactly what Aro sent me out to find."

"You can't be serious? We cannot steel this boy from Carlisle."

"We don't have any other choice. I must return to Italy soon, otherwise Demetri will come searching for us. Either way, Aro will touch me and read my thoughts, and know of this boy's abilities. If we take him without Carlisle's knowledge, then perhaps they will spare his life. You know Aro would kill Carlisle callously, just to get to this boy."

"We can't just take him; I just gave Carlisle my word that he can trust us." Carmen said frustrated.

"I'm afraid we don't have any other choice."

Eleazar and Carmen carried Edward to the train station, where they boarded the first train headed east. They could have easily carried him across country quickly enough, but they needed their scents to disappear so Carlisle couldn't track them. They got off after only traveling for a few hours, because they feared that Edward would wake soon, and they didn't want the newborn to kill the entire group of passengers onboard.

When Edward awoke, they had him secluded in a wooded area in the hope that he would hunt animals, but like any other newborn, he craved blood of the human variety. He quickly found some campers to drain, but they weren't enough to quench the burn in his throat. Eleazar was saddened by Edward's preferred diet, but he knew that life with the Volturi would be carnivorous anyway, so he hesitantly dismissed it.

The three of them boarded a boat to cross the Atlantic, but unfortunately for the human passengers, none survived the trip. They abandoned the boat just off the coast of Italy, and swam the rest of the way to shore. It wasn't long until they reached the gates of Volterra.

"Now Edward, you must control yourself here, the Volturi will not tolerate conspicuous killings. Do you understand?" Eleazar asked him.

"Of course." Edward didn't speak often, because he didn't have much to say. He vaguely remembered his human life before, but as a newborn vampire, the majority of his focus was purely instincts. He didn't give himself the opportunity to grieve for the life he lost, and he automatically viewed humans as nothing more than a food source.

The three vampires were greeted by two guard members, and escorted to the throne room to meet with Aro.

"Ah Eleazar my dear friend, you have returned at last." Aro greeted them fondly. "And I see you have brought someone with you."

"Yes Aro. I have searched for a long time and found many gifted vampires, but none who possessed talents that would be of any real service to you. I had even worse luck amongst the ailing humans, but then we came across this talented newborn." Eleazar stepped forward and extended his hand, which Aro promptly took.

Aro's interest intensified, and his eyes immediately gazed towards Edward. "You have done well Eleazar…you have done very well. Young Edward will be an extraordinary asset amongst our family here."

Aro walked closer to Edward, and reached for his hand. Once touching, Aro was able to read every thought Edward ever had, including those of his sister.

"Truly fascinating. When I touch you, I am able to hear everyone's thoughts in the entire room. I will thoroughly enjoy having you by my side, my new young friend." He told Edward, and then turned back to Eleazar. "Now, go back to Chicago and seek out Edward's sister Alice. She is human, but from Edward's memories of her, I believe she may have some powerful latent talents as well."

Edward's sister Alice always had dreams of the future, and Aro knew that her extra sense would only increase with immortality. Edward was not upset whatsoever by the news that his beloved sister would be taken from their home and brought to Italy to be turned. Like most vampires, Edward thought of all vampires as superior beings, and it would only benefit his sister to be turned.

Edward quickly became everything Aro wanted him to be, a loyal guard member always by his side, and a vicious killer like all vampires should be. He was smart and cunning, and he possessed another quality which Aro didn't consider before, his ability to dazzle those around him. Aro decided that once Edward reached vampire maturity, and was trustworthy to be inconspicuous around the humans, he would accompany Heidi on her fishing trips.

But Edward was young, only seventeen when he was turned, so he was restless and would go stir crazy within the confines of the Volturi compound. However Aro wouldn't allow the newborn to run freely amongst the humans at that time, and he hoped with the arrival of his sister, perhaps Edward would calm down a bit.

Alice arrived a few weeks later and was immediately turned. When she awoke, she didn't take to her new life the way that her brother had. She hated what she had become and though she wasn't angry at Edward for it, she definitely didn't agree with his view on things. Edward convinced her to give it time, but Alice only grew more and more depressed from the lifestyle. She always did as she was told, and gave her visions to Aro, but her heart remained sad and before long, Alice disappeared from Volterra.

Edward was upset from the loss of his sister, and had no idea what happened to her. He listened to everyone's mind to try to figure out if anyone knew anything, but no one thought of her again, it was as if she never existed.

The vampire Edward, didn't care about the loss of his human family, but he did care about the loss of his vampire sister, and his once vibrant demeanor, quickly darkened as grief overtook him.

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***This was just an idea of mine pulled from another one of my stories 'Morning Darkness'. In that story, Edward briefly becomes a 'fisherman' with Heidi, and I liked that idea so I came up with this story. I have yet to write anymore chapters, so if you are interested and would like for me to continue with this story, please review. The next chapter will be from Edward's POV. Thanks for reading.***


	2. Ch 1 A New Era

**Finding Heaven**

Warning: Rated M for strong language and adult content

~ Chapter 1 – A New Era ~

EPOV

_**Volterra ~ December 31**__**st**__**, 2000 ~ 11:59pm**_

It was a minute shy of the 2001st year in the Gregorian calendar of the Common Era. Most of the daft humans with their apocalyptic theories thought the year 2000 was when the world would end, but they were confused as to when the new millennium would actually begin. 2000 was the last year of the second millennium, 2001 was the first, marking the beginning of the 21st century.

I never actually believed all the hype about the end of the world coinciding with the new millennium, but I decided that if it were true, then it would happen in 2001 as opposed to 2000. So I watched with a smile at the mass of unsuspecting humans gathered in the heart of Volterra to see the fireworks, thinking they had made it safely through the new century the year before. But it was only with the strike of midnight that the world would end, if the hysterics were true.

I felt a twinge of excitement as I sat on the roof of the clock tower, and waited for the last few seconds of the 20th century to run out.

"Cinque. Quattro. Tre. Due. Uno. Felice Anno Nuovo!"

But of course, nothing happened.

**~January 1****st****, 2001~**

I wasn't sure why I was excited at the thought of the world ending, but I wasn't about to let myself be disappointed for too long either, it was time to get to work. Big events, such as a New Year's celebration, were easy pickings when it came to fish. Mass amounts of stupid fish just waiting around in the tiny pond of Volterra Square, practically begging for a reason to find a party that would make their night memorable. The fact that they were all usually drunk made it that much easier.

I walked up to a group of young females, probably college students, and struck up a conversation with them.

"These fireworks aggettivo orribile" I used a heavy accent as well as finishing my comment in Italian because these kids were vacationing from London, and I knew they would be more interested in a native.

"I'm sorry?" _Wow, this guy is super hot_. The girl was unsurprisingly attracted to me, which only made my job even easier. I could hear from the minds of her friends, that they all felt the same way.

"Ah, you are British, I thought this when I first saw you." I said in broken English.

_Oh man, he is so fucking hot,_ "yes we're here just for the New Year." The woman batted her eyes and twirled her hair between her fingers flirtatiously. "Are you from this city?"

"Si...ah, yes. I live here many years, all my life."

"Oh, how nice" she said while leaning into me. I could actually smell her arousal as our conversation went on. "What were you saying before, about the fireworks?"

"Only that they were horrible this year. This whole party seems to be boring, and I feel sad that you beautiful young ladies came all this way and had to be subjected to a poor display on such a bella notte."

Three of the six girls giggled. "Bella notte? Isn't that from 'Lady and the Tramp'?" the blonde asked.

"Si, it means beautiful night, of course. But the beauty of the night pales in comparison to the astonishment that is you." I lifted her hand, and kissed it gently.

_Oh my fucking god! His lips actually touched my skin -_ the blonde thought.

"If you would like, a friend of mine is throwing a private party a few blocks away, I'd love if you ladies would join me in attending."

"Yes, we'd love to" she said without hesitation. These girls were dumber than a doornail, and I was actually doing them a favor by leading them to their death.

The six girls followed me eagerly to the gates of the compound. Heidi was also arriving with four young men, all reeking of alcohol and marijuana.

"Jeeze Heidi, you are really losing your touch" I told her in Italian so none of the fish could understand. "Can you not bring any fish back without getting them drunk and stoned first?" I laughed, but she just glared at me.

"I could have had twenty fish tonight if I wanted" Heidi answered arrogantly in Italian. "Aro only wanted a few tonight, so I wasn't about to waste my time. Besides, it's the New Year; they are all drunk and stoned."

"Touché" I agreed.

We led our small catch of the day to the throne room, where the three leaders fed until they were full, and left the rest for whoever was close by and were thirsty at that moment. Heidi and I would never partake in the group feedings, we caught enough on the side and both preferred to drink on our own.

"So, shall we get together tonight?" Heidi asked me as I walked to my chambers.

I pulled my contacts out of my eyes, and discarded them carelessly on the floor. "No, I'm just going to stay in and enjoy my solitude until morning."

"You never want to have fun anymore; you have become boring in your maturity." She leaned into me, and pressed her breasts to my shoulder. "What happened to that feisty newborn who was up for anything?"

"I just have better things to do than fuck the likes of you." I said coldly, and shut the door of my chamber behind me. I could hear through the door that she was throwing cursing insults at me in her mind, but I didn't care so I tuned her out.

In my early years at Volterra, Heidi and I had spent many long hours together as she taught me everything I needed to know about fishing, and life with the Volturi. She also instructed me on the many grander aspects of being a man. I was a seventeen year old virgin when I was turned, so I was thankful for her initiation into adulthood, but lately, I preferred the company of a good book, over her. She was not my mate, though I knew she wanted to be, but I just didn't care about her enough to commit eternity to her. If Heidi were to be beheaded and burned, I doubt I would care enough to grieve her, and that's not the way a mate should feel.

**~June 20****th****, 2001~**

I was sitting in a local bar, not fishing, just people watching, when a familiar voice resounded in my head.

_Happy birthday Edward. - _I knew that voice, it was one that I hadn't heard in over eighty years, but it was one of the most significant voices in my life.

"Alice?" I said quietly. No humans heard me, but I was sure she would. I looked around the room but couldn't see her anywhere, and the loud internal ranting of all the patrons in the bar made it difficult to single out her mind.

I took a deep breath, but I didn't smell her either, so I went outside. I barely opened the door, when her scent accosted me, and there she was, standing in front of me. I stared at her for a moment, not believing the surreal sight before me. When she disappeared all those decades ago, I had no idea if she was killed or just taken away, but the smirk that was on her face told me that she was at least happy. Her mind was carefully blank as her grin lit up my universe.

"Happy birthday, Edward," she repeated, but this time out loud.

"Alice….what are you doing here?"

"It's not every day that my big brother turns one hundred. I'm turning a hundred next year, and I fully expect you to wish me a happy birthday as well." Her voice was like music as she spoke, and her eyes sparkled like…._topaz?_

"Your eyes?" The color of her eyes was pretty insignificant in the moment, but I was so overcome by a flood of emotions that something as quizzical as her eyes was the most obvious question. I never saw such a color in a vampire, not even contacts could disguise the bright red that all vampires are plagued with. Of course we try to cover the red to blend in better, but Heidi's blue contacts made her eyes look purple, and my brown ones were closer to mud than anything as appealing as my sisters were.

"How have you been?" She asked, ignoring my question.

"Forget me, where have you been all this time?"

"I went back to America; I just couldn't stay here any longer."

"You went on your own?" I asked and she nodded. "Why didn't you say anything to me? You should have at least told me before completely disappearing."

"I couldn't. Edward I needed to break away and your loyalty was always to Aro first and foremost…"

"I would have never gone to him about your plans." I interrupted her.

"Yes you would have." She replayed her eighty year old memory of a vision she had of me going to Aro.

I shook my head, but she didn't give me time to defend myself. "It's okay Edward, you were only exactly what they wanted you to be, and you still are. I never blamed you for what you would have done, but I just couldn't live like that anymore."

"Live like what?" I tried to listen to her meaning in her thoughts, but she was very guarded with her mind, and only thought of the moment and the words being exchanged.

"I couldn't live in the violence of life here?"

"Violence? The Volturi keep the peace, not promote violence."

"They keep the peace amongst vampires, but the humans being constantly murdered was just too much for me to endure."

"Humans, murdered? Alice, killing humans is what we do; it's our way of life."

"No Edward, there is another way, and that's why I left. I had a vision of a more peaceful existence and I knew it was the right path for me."

Her words confused me. _How could a vampire survive without killing humans?_

At that moment, I smelled the scent of a vampire I had never met before. I instinctually turned quickly, and hissed defensively. Vampires were vicious by nature, and it was only natural to take that stance with any unknown vampire.

Alice stepped lightly between us. "Edward, this is Jasper. Jasper, this is my brother Edward."

We stared at each other untrustingly, but Alice was exuberantly beaming between us.

"He's your mate?" I asked Alice finally, after hearing it in her mind. I then noticed that he too had the strange golden eyes.

"We've been very happy together for the last seventy eight years." She started showing me memories of her life, and I suddenly became very suspicious.

"Why have you come here?" I asked while narrowing my eyes at her.

"I've come to ask my brother to return to America with us, to become a member of our family. I've missed you so much these past eighty years, and nothing would make me happier than to have you back with me."

"Alice, how do you survive without killing humans?" I asked, dismissing her desire for me to return to America with her.

"We're vegetarians, we only hunt animals." She said proudly.

I shuttered at the disgusting thought. _What kind of perversely twisted coven had Alice found her way in to?_

Her face immediately dropped as she had a vision of herself and her mate leaving Volterra without me. "You aren't going to come, are you?" It wasn't really a question, because she already knew.

"Alice, it's unnatural and disgusting. I would never subject myself to such an outrageous monstrosity. Is that why your eyes are that strange color?"

"The animal blood diluted the color." Her mate answered me.

"Edward, please? I know you are a good person. You don't have to kill innocent people; you don't have to live like a monster."

"Killing people is what we do, and we _are_ monsters. It's not a curse Alice, it's a blessing. We're the top predators on the planet, demigods even. Why would I lower myself to be less than I am? The notion is ridiculous, and if this is the only reason why you have come, then you should just leave now." I turned my back to her; I just couldn't stand there and listen to the garbage she was trying to sell me.

As I walked away, she opened her mind to me, and shared another one of her visions. _– I was sitting in a room, surrounded by a bunch of vampires that I didn't know at the moment, but seemed much acquainted with in the vision. We were all laughing and enjoying each other's company, and we all had golden eyes that burned like liquid topaz._

"It's never going to happen, Alice" I said without turning to look at her, and I walked through the doors to the compound.

I still cared about my sister, despite her disturbing lifestyle, but I would not give her the chance to poison my mind against my own species. The only good that came from our long overdue encounter, was the knowledge that she was alive and happy in her unconventional life.

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***Bella will enter the story in the next chapter, but it'll still be in EPOV. If you like this story so far, then ****please review**** so I know. Thanks!***


	3. Ch 2 Singer

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: Ok, quick update and it's a short chapter, but I just wanted to get the initial ExB meeting out of the way so we can dive into the more juicy stuff in the upcoming chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or 'Midnight Sun'. Direct passages from 'Midnight Sun' are marked at the end with a ^ symbol

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~Chapter 2 – _Singer_~

EPOV

**Volterra ~ July, 2005**

Over the past four years, I'd get regular letters from Alice, but none had a return address so I was never able to write back. I understood why she was so vague and kept her thoughts guarded during our meeting, it was to protect her coven from Aro. Alice must not have realized that if Aro really wanted to find her then he could just have Demetri track her, but he told me that he'd never force anyone to be part of the Volturi.

I always admired Aro. He was a strong and fair leader but commanded respect, and the vampire world was generally peaceful because most feared him. Though Aro raised me from a newborn, and welcomed me into the Volturi hierarchy, I didn't view him as a father figure because in the vampire world, such relationships weren't practiced. It was more businesslike, or even animalistic; survival of the fittest and if you didn't pull your weight, then you were mercilessly discarded or even executed if the offense was great enough. But that's exactly the way it should be. A mated pair was strongly bonded, but besides that, we weren't human so there was no reason to keep up the charade of human relationships. Alice was my sister, but that was just a fact and falsifying other bonds was just illogical.

...

_Yesterday, Jazz and I were crossing the Aurora Bridge and we saw a man who looked like he was going to jump. Jazz thought we shouldn't interfere but I just couldn't help but pull him back_….

...

"Aro would like to speak to you" Felix sought me out to tell me.

I had just been reading Alice's latest letter, but of course I immediately put it down to go see Aro. When the leader of all vampires wanted to speak to you, you didn't keep him waiting.

"Ah Edward, my young friend, just in time" Aro greeted me fondly. Aro always referred to those close to him as his 'friends' but in truth, he was far too superior to have such comradeship.

"Felix said you needed to speak to me right away?"

"Yes. We're expecting some visitors from Russia, and I'm sure they will be parched from their travels."

"Of course, Master. I will go fishing at once."

"Oh, how I do love your work ethic my dear boy, but I'm afraid we have run into a few snags. Apparently too many tourists have gone missing in Volterra and the nearby towns, so you will need to go further out which may make your job a bit more difficult."

"I can go to Florence and be back with a group by night fall."

"That is why I adore you, my dear one; so cleaver. Go now, and be _haste_." When he told me to be 'haste', his voice had an edge to it which was meant to be a threat. He wasn't asking me to hurry, he was commanding it.

"Yes, Master." I lowered my head slightly out of respect, and then left at a quick human pace.

I went to the underground garage, and got in the tour bus. The Volturi had many different types of automobiles for various reasons, but because I needed to return with many humans, I chose the one that could transport the most at a time.

I went as fast as the bus could drive, which wasn't very fast, and went directly into the heart of the city. I drove to all the top tourist spots and easily found many who wanted to go see the ancient gothic city of Volterra. Though it was summer, I was grateful that there was a thick overcast of clouds above. My job would have been much more complex if I had to remain in the shadows the whole time.

Within a couple hours, I had almost a full bus, but decided to make one last stop. I wasn't exactly sure what made me want to go to theUffitzi Gallery, but it had a high traffic level and the tourist there always seemed to be up for an adventure.

"Ok, we're just going to see if we can fill the last few seats" I announced to my group on the bus.

I got off the bus and walked around for a minute, when something caught my attention. There was a human dressed up like cupid, covered from head to toe in a white substance that made him look like he was actually a statue. Unsuspecting pedestrians would walk by and get scared out of their wits when the 'statue' would come to life and grab them. It was actually quite amusing to watch.

I was about to approach a group of people who were looking over some tourist maps, when I noticed a girl walking past the cupid. He touched her arm in attempts to scare her, but she was unaffected, which seemed to provoke him to try harder. He followed her for a few yards, and kept tugging on her hair and pulling on the strap of her purse. She ignored him until his taunting crossed the line; he grabbed her inappropriately in a sexual manner. Then her reaction surprised even me, she turned around and punched him square in the jaw. The cupid stumbled back a few steps and when he recovered himself, he just stared after the girl as she departed. He was obviously shocked into a dumbfounded stupor.

It was rare that I was entertained by anything that humans did, but the scene was very interesting to me and I had to admit, I was impressed by the girl. She didn't care that it was a crowded area and in the middle of the day, she just punched him hard and gave no apologies for it.

I turned back to the people with the maps, and began to charm them until they happily boarded my bus of death. In many ways, I was like the Grim Reaper leading poor souls to their ultimate and untimely demise, but it made me feel powerful.

"Do you have room for one more?"

_There was no image violent enough to encapsulate the force of what happened to me in that moment^_. The most intoxicatingly irresistible smell filled my airways, and I had never experienced anything more alluring and desirable in all my immortal life.

I turned slowly to face the source of _the sweetest blood I'd smelled in eighty years.^ _It was the same girl who had just punched the cupid, but in that moment she had no face, all that existed was the pulsating hum as her heart pumped the luscious blood through her veins. Tempting me and begging me to pounce, her blood sang to me, _la tua cantante._

Aro had told me about this in the past, it was rare but real. When someone's blood appeals more than any other that they had ever encountered before, he called it _la tua cantante, because the blood sings to the vampire._ All other blood was mud next to hers, and I knew that no other blood would ever be satisfying again.

"Um, is everything Ok?" She asked, and she had no idea how drastically opposite to Ok she actually was in that moment.

"Sir, when will we be leaving for Volterra?" A man asked from the bus behind me.

I was stuck in a conundrum. I yearned to drink her right then and there, and I really didn't care about the bystanders. But if my bus of fish started freaking out, then I'd need to kill them as well, and I'd have to start my fishing all over again, which I didn't have time for. By killing her in that moment, I'd be risking my life as well because if I didn't bring the tourist back soon, Aro would punish me severely. There was no choice, I had to remain in control.

"I'm sorry, the bus is full" I said through clinched teeth. I used every ounce of will power that I was capable of, to turn away from the girl and climb the steps of the bus before driving away. Though she walked away with her life at that moment, the beats of her heart were definitely numbered. I planned to bring the fish back to Volterra, and then immediately return to follow her delectable scent back to wherever she went after I left, and I would drain every drop.

I couldn't get the damn fish back to Aro fast enough, and with every passing minute that my craving was left unsatisfied, it grew tenfold.

"Where are you going so quickly?" Heidi asked as I was racing back out of the compound.

"I don't see how that's any of your fucking business" I said frigidly without stopping to look at her. I decided to run all the way back to Florence because it was quicker than driving on the streets, though my run did nothing to alleviate the burning desire that the memory of the girl's scent did to me. The moment I got back to the gallery, I easily picked up her unique aroma and it lead to the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, which was the largest public library in Italy.

The words _quiet_ and _library_ were a contradiction to someone who could read minds, such as me. While there wasn't much noise for one to 'hear', the multitude of minds reading different books at the same time was louder than if any normal human were standing in the middle of a crowded gymnasium.

I stalked stealthily through the vast rows of book shelves, and I tuned everything out besides the song my la tua cantante was bellowing just for me. She was easy to find, and would be even easier to kill. She was tragically alone, and taking her life would be simple.

_Every move of my undead life had led me to this moment, the ultimate kill with the ultimate reward. There would never be another meal as amazing as this one, and there would never be a greater high then the feeling of her blood rushing down my throat._

_My mouth was baked and desiccated.^ My stomach twisted with the hunger that was an echo of my thirst. My muscles coiled to spring.^_ But then a split second changed everything. She turned and looked at me dead in the eye, and I realized that taking her life just wasn't an option.

I had no sympathy or compassion for the girl, she was after all, only human. On the surface she was just like every other human I had ever come across, completely unremarkable, but just under that, there was something unique about her which no other human seemed to possess. If I killed her at that moment, then the rest of forever would be nothing but a disappointment. She was the ultimate mountain, and after she was dead, there would be nothing left to conquer. After I savored her glorious flavor, she'd be gone, and I'd have to live for eternity without ever tasting her again. If there was a way that I could harvest her blood and enjoy it for the rest of my existence, then I'd be in a place where no other vampire would ever see, _heaven_.

It was far better to have never tasted her, then to live in the pure torture of only tasting her once. But did I have the strength to walk away?

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**Please Review****. ***_**Spoiler Alert**_*** Edward just may acquire a 'pet' in the next chapter. *DARKWARD ahead***


	4. Ch 3 Secret Chambers

**Finding Heaven**

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Twilight' or 'Midnight Sun'. Direct passages from 'Midnight Sun' are marked at the end with a ^ symbol

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~Chapter 3 – _Secret Chambers_~

EPOV

"Hey, aren't you the tour guide guy?" Her breath washed over me sending a fresh wave of burning fire down my throat. I immediately stopped breathing. I almost forgot my reason for abstaining from her, when something struck me as odd…silence.

Though we were located in an obscure location that would be perfect for my killing her, it was incongruously silent. I could still hear the inner ramblings of the unvoiced readers nearby, but either this girl was thoughtless, or there was something very peculiar about her. She was a complete enigma and that was something I had never experienced before. Even while I was human, I always had an acute ability to read people, of course I became a very literal version of that after my transformation, but never had I been completely lost.

"I'm sorry; you probably don't speak a word of English, do you?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "And I'm stupidly traveling alone without speaking any of the native language. I mean you would think that I would at least have a language translation dictionary, or something. I guess its better that I didn't go to Volterra with your group, I've been having a horrible stomach ache all day, and I'd probably end up getting motion sickness and stuck in the bus bathroom the whole time." She looked at me as if she was waiting for a response, but I didn't need to read her mind to know that she legitimately thought I didn't understand her, regardless of her one sided conversation with me. I was positive that if she thought I did understand, she'd never talk about her need of a bathroom to me.

"Well, I'm just wasting both of our time, aren't I?" She collected her things and got up to leave, when she stopped and turned back to me. "Wait a minute, you were speaking English to the tourists, you even told me that the bus was full." She looked upset, which was entirely fascinating to me. I was a complete stranger to her, but instead of being embarrassed and walking away, she didn't have a problem expressing what she was feeling in that moment. I was actually slightly concerned that she'd up and punch me the way she did to the cupid guy, which would only result in her hand being broken.

But even more than her obvious displeased feelings towards me, it was her complete lack of fear which struck me. Most humans had an innate trepidation of vampires, even if they consciously didn't know it, but this girl didn't seem to have any instinct to flee from me whatsoever. Heidi and I were used as 'fisherman' because we were both physically attractive to humans, but that didn't mean that they felt completely comfortable with us the way that this girl seemed to feel.

"Well?" She waited for me to respond, and for some unknown reason, I actually responded.

"Uh, little English" I said in my heavy Italian accent.

She narrowed her eyes at me as if she could see right through me, or almost as if _she_ was the mind reader and she heard my hidden truth. Of course, if she really did know my truth, she'd run away screaming in sheer terror.

"So, you were going to just sit there and let me make a fool of myself by pretending to not understand me?"

"No, I'm sorry, I did not fully understand everything," I said, maintaining my accent.

She bit her bottom lip and a major part of me was hoping that she'd draw blood so I could give myself the excuse to kill her.

"So will there be any more tours to Volterra today?" she asked.

"No" I said a little too quickly. It wasn't that I was worried about her safety in Volterra, it was just the simple fact that if she were to become anyone's meal, it would be mine. The last thing I wanted to do was fight another vampire for my meal like a couple wild animals.

"How about tomorrow?" she asked. I was beginning to think that resisting her blood was stupid, and I should just give in to it before someone has a chance to drink her before me. She was obviously doomed to die. I wondered if she smelled more appealing than most to other vampires as well. She was my singer, there was no doubt about that, but I was sure that her blood must be more potent regardless.

"We're booked through the weekend."

"Oh, well that's too bad. I read a lot about Volterra and I'd love to see it before I have to go home."

"You are American, no?" I was completely frustrated with her closed mind, that I started asking mundane questions just to try to unlock the secrets that her mind was surely keeping.

"Yeah, I'm from Phoenix. I'm actually here for the summer to visit my grandmother…and you probably don't care to hear about my life," she said with a humorless laugh.

"I should probably be going" I said while using the last bit of my stored oxygen. It was a very strange encounter. I came back to Florence for the sole reason to drink her blood and hers alone, but as I walked away from her, I felt a strange sense of relief that her heart was still beating.

I never cared for a human before, and I certainly didn't care for her either, but it I knew without a doubt that her blood was the equivalent to vampire heroin. One hit and I'd be hooked without the option to indulge myself again. I decided to not return to Florence while she was in Italy.

Over the next couple of weeks, I tried to keep the strange girl's quiet mind and intoxicating aroma, out of my mind. But try as I may, I was tragically unsuccessful. She started consuming my every thought, and the craving that I was counting on dissipating, only grew. The majority of my time was spent trying to consider which was worse, the cravings itself, or the indulgence only to be left unsatisfied for the rest of eternity. Surely the craving had to decrease. I could think through it, I was strong enough for that. I prided myself, as well as my species, as if we were demigods, and if that were the case, then there was no way that her enticement would overcome me. I only had to make it a few decades then hopefully the temptation would be dead, and my choice would be removed from me. A few decades of suffering was better than an eternity of it, _right?_

I exited a bar ally, where I had just drank two burly men who had been in a drunken fight, and I sluggishly walked back to the compound. Vampires never really felt sluggish from being overfull, but if we did, then that's how I would have felt. I was overdrinking a lot lately, but it did nothing for my cravings except further prove my point that I couldn't go on with mediocre blood after drinking the girl's luscious deliciousness.

"Right this way people, follow me" I heard Heidi say. She was just returning with a group of ten fish, and she winked at me as our eyes met. But then that familiar song started resounding in my airway. It was only with the rush of the breeze that I noticed my singer amongst the fish that Heidi was about to feed to the leaders.

I didn't even think, I just reacted. I ran over to Heidi's group at human speed, and approached my singer. "Um, scusami." My singer stopped and looked surprised to see me, Heidi stopped as well and looked…annoyed.

_What the hell are you doing Edward!_ – Heidi practically yelled at me in her mind. I, of course, ignored her.

"It's you again. We seem to keep running into each other" my singer said. He cheeks turned the most delicious shade of pink from the shock of my repeat appearance in her life.

"Si. Uh, may I have a word with you for just a minuto, per favore?" I asked mixing English with Italian words that she would probably understand. She looked forward to the group that Heidi was aggravatingly escorting forward without her, and she nodded reluctantly.

"I really don't want to miss this tour, though." _Oh how wrong she was_.

"This tour group you found yourself in, is just awful, trust me."

"Really?" She seemed surprised by my comment. "They were highly recommended in the news paper."

_Right, a newspaper that was run by vampires._

"Look, if you really want to see the city, let me show you around."

"Uh, why would you do that? I mean I don't mean to be rude or anything, but we only just met once a few weeks ago, so why spend your time off giving me a private tour?"

"Well, I feel…_unhappy_ about the fact that we were full when you wanted the tour before. It would be a disservice of me to allow you to be taken advantage of by this terrible tour guide who has been showing you around." I smiled reassuringly, without showing too much of my teeth.

"You know, for someone who only speaks 'little English', you sure do know a lot of words." She crossed her arms and stared accusingly.

I couldn't help but smile wider at her, but she didn't become alarmed the way most humans would do unconsciously from the sight of a vampire's exposed teeth.

"Ok, you got me." I said in my natural American accented English.

"Oh, my god. You're not even Italian, are you?" She smiled despite her annoyance with my deceit.

"I'm originally from Chicago, but I've lived here for a long time now," I said guiltily.

"Wow, do you use the Italian ruse to pick up on chicks? I bet the dashing foreigner thing would work better in the States, as oppose to in the country you were pretending to be from."

"I find that people would rather take tours from natives, rather than a Chicagoan immigrant."

"Ah, I see. So it's just a business decision then?" she smirked, but started walking away from the compound with me right behind her.

"So what do you want to see first?"

"How about the Pinacoteca?"

"Oh, you're a fan of fourteenth century palaces and fine art?"

"Of course."

I turned my head away from her for a minute, because I was out of my reserved air supply and I needed some fresh air untainted by her alluring scent.

"Are you Ok?" she asked, concerned by my obviously painful breath.

"Yeah, just allergies," I said and faked a cough.

"I'm Bella, by the way" she introduced herself. If she would have told me her name was Bella when we first ran into each other, I would have thought her name was completely unsuited for her. I only saw her as physically average looking at best, so a name meaning _beauty_ was off, but the more time I spent with her, the more attractive she appeared. Upon closer inspection, I realized that _she was actually rather pretty… in an unusual way_. _Better than being beautiful, her face was _interesting_. Not quite symmetrical –her narrow chin out of balance with her wide cheekbones; extreme in the coloring- the light and dark contrast of her skin and her hair; and then there were the eyes, brimming over with silent secrets….^_

_Eyes that were suddenly boring into mine.^_

"And your name is?"

I didn't realize that I not only didn't respond to her introduction, but I was also staring at her. I just wasn't used to not being able to access someone's mind, and I recognized then how I relied on that extra sense far too much. It was like a crutch, and without it I was stumbling through my day.

"Uh, Edward" I said, but it came out almost sounding like a question. I never told humans my name, and if for some reason a name was needed, then I usually just made one up. What was it about this girl that I just couldn't seem to hold myself together.

"Are you sure about that, do you want to think about it for a while first?" she asked with a smirk.

"_No_, I mean yes, my name is Edward Masen."

"Well, Edward Masen, I'm glad I met you."

_Oh, if she only knew._

I gave her a tour of the city, and every stop we made completely fascinated her, and the more fascinated she was in something, the more fascinated in became with her. I had never spent so much time with a human before, and I had never been so interested in anything one had to say. I attributed my captivation to the fact that her mind was blocked from me, but either way, being in her presence was almost peaceful in a way.

"So, when are you going to take me to Marcus's secret chambers?" She asked suddenly.

"His secret chambers?" I was completely shocked. How the hell did she know about Marcus, little alone his secret chambers?

"Yeah, St. Marcus's secret chambers. That's where the girl running the tour group I was in before was about to take us, when you dragged me away."

_Heidi was such an idiot._

"Uh, that's not a real place" I lied.

"Then where was the tour guide taking the group then?" She asked confused.

"She wasn't really a tour guide, she was taking those people to be eaten by the monsters that lurk just below the city." I said in a joking tone, knowing that the truth was far more unbelievable than any lie I could come up with.

I expected her to laugh and dismiss my comment, but she didn't, and an alarming expression was plastered on her face instead.

"Um, that was a joke," I said lightly. Perhaps I was more of an idiot that Heidi.

"Oh, right," she said and her voice trembled.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned by her sudden mood change.

"Nuh, nothing." She said stumbling over her words. Over the few hours I spent with her, I learned a few things. She was outgoing and confident, and though she was a bit of a klutz, she made no apologies for it. She seemed to be the type who was inquisitive and up for anything, but suddenly all that washed away and she became scared and withdrawn. _What the hell happened_?

"So, do you need me to give you a lift back to Florence?"

"No, I'm staying here for a couple days."

_That wasn't a good idea_. It was a pure miracle that I hadn't killed her all day, but knowing she was sleeping in the same city, might pull me over the edge.

"Really? What about your grandmother?"

"Uh, she's Ok with it. I'm eighteen anyway, so it's not like I need a chaperone." Her voice was almost detached in a way, which was completely baffling.

I walked her to the hotel she was staying in, and though I successfully fought temptation all day, I was finding it extremely difficult to allow her out of my sight. I still didn't care about her life, but I started to almost get a territorial feeling towards her. Like a wild animal to a scrap of meat. She was in my city, which was full of vampires who wouldn't hesitate to take her for themselves. But she was mine, and though I didn't drink her that day, she still belonged to me and I'd kill any who tried to get her away from me.

I left her alone for the evening knowing that no vampires in the city would take a meal from their bed, and went back to the compound, or as Heidi called it to her fish, 'Marcus's secret chambers'. I went to my room to read, but I just couldn't escape the craving I had for the girl. I got up to leave and as I walked, I contemplated my feelings. _Was I craving her blood, or her company more? _At that moment, it was dead even.

Still, she was human, and I wouldn't care about killing her if her blood wasn't so addicting, but she was also a puzzle that I was trying to figure out. No one surprised me anymore, not the minds of humans or vampires. I realized that my eternity had become stagnant and dull, but then this girl showed up and completely threw me for a loop.

I walked down the halls of the compound and listened for anyone who planned on double crossing Aro, which I did every few weeks or so. I used to have to 'listen' more frequently, but over the past few decades, all the vampires around feared my extra sense too much to ever consider double crossing him even for a moment. It was utterly boring. I missed the days when vampires feebly conspired against the three leaders, because it was always so much fun to catch them in the act, and to see the looks on their faces knowing they had been caught. It was even better when Aro let me be the one to behead them, it was always a satisfying experience.

Even though vampires didn't sleep, they would often retreat to their private chambers at night, to either be with their mate, or just have alone time to read or whatnot. I usually did the same, but I was restless and couldn't concentrate on reading. I walked out of the compound, and immediately smelled her.

She was hanging around the east entrance, and looked to be trying to find a way inside.

"Bella?"

"Edward, what are you doing here?" She asked startled.

"I'd ask you the same question."

"Oh, I was just looking for something I dropped earlier." Her lies weren't concealed efficiently.

"This late at night?" I challenged her.

"Why are you here?" She asked narrowing her eyes at me.

There was movement adjacent to us, and though she didn't hear it, I knew someone was coming. I grabbed her arm and pulled her quickly into the shadows, not that shadows could hide us from vampires. It was Chelsea, and her mind was concentrating on her task that Aro sent her out to do, so she didn't even notice us. But even if she had, it would have just looked like I was about to drink, not actually having a conversation with the girl.

"What just happened?" The girl asked confused. I was actually surprised that I didn't hurt her from the force I used to pull her away. I must have been more gentle than I thought.

"I just didn't want anyone to see us here, it's not exactly open to the public after hours."

We walked towards the main street and I could actually taste her uneasiness on the back of my tongue. It radiated off of her in waves, and it was obvious she was scared of something.

"Bella, please just tell me the truth; what were you doing there?"

"It's complicated."

"I think I can keep up," I said with conviction, trying to earn her trust.

She shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

"How long have you lived in this city, Edward?"

"Ten years" I lied without hesitation.

"And in those ten years, have you ever noticed anything strange, or maybe have you known someone who went missing?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

She took a deep breath. "My mother was a science fiction novelist, who came here two years ago to research a story idea. After a few weeks of being here, she called me in a frantic and told me that she loved me, then her phone went silent. I got a letter a couple days later that was completely insane, but the more time that passed, the more I started to believe it."

"What did the letter say?"

"She said that the legends were true, that vampires were real and Volterra was the vampire capital of the world. When she didn't come home and she never contacted me again, I started doing some research. There are many claims of people who think they know something, but even more than that, there are so many tourists who have gone missing after coming here."

I stared at her completely at a loss. I knew that there were the sci-fi believers out there, and that they would come with all their theories, but the idea of this girl's mother being one of them was insanely ironic.

"So you think that she uncovered some supernatural truth, and she's being held hostage somewhere in Marcus's secret chambers?" I all but laughed at her.

"I honestly don't think she's alive anymore. If there _are_ real vampires in this city, and they knew she knew, then I'm sure they would have killed her. I accepted that before I came here, but I just have to know." She said sounding detached.

"And what were you hoping to accomplish by coming here and learning the truth? Did you think that you were just going to walk into a vampire lair demanding answers, and then you'd be able to leave afterwards with your life?"

"I just couldn't sit back and pretend that her letter doesn't exist."

Again, the girl surprised me. She spoke with such determination and heart ache, yet in Florence, she seemed like a happy, strong minded, ordinary girl. She was frustratingly bewildering, and she had no idea how close to the truth she actually was. Of course, if she dug any further, I would have to kill her anyway. She was right about her mother, if she did know the truth, and a vampire knew that she knew, she would indeed be terminated.

If I hadn't been so distracted by my internal contemplations, I would have reacted much faster. If I hadn't been holding my breath the majority of the time, I would have smelled it coming, and if I wasn't listening so intently to the silence of her mind, I would have heard the wheels screeching. I was so fixated on the complexity of this fragile insignificant human, that I used the majority of my vast mind to focus on her, and I irresponsibly left no room to be aware of my surroundings. The van shouldn't have been driving down that backstreet at that hour of the night, but it came barreling towards us regardless. She didn't see it either, until it was too late. She stiffened and sucked in a hard breath, right before the moment of impact.

The loud torturous sound of distorting metal filled the night. I could smell the blood immediately, but I was strangely relieved that it wasn't the blood of my singer. The human driving the van was already dead, killed on impact, and I could feel the heat from his blood dissipating as it was no longer being pumped by his heart.

I turned my head slowly towards the girl who's body had been shielded by my own, and looked at her for her reaction.

Her heart was racing, and sweat had begun to bead on her temples. She didn't speak at first, she just stared at me widely with her oddly deep chocolate brown eyes. If I ever _needed_ to read her thoughts, it was in that moment.

"You…you…"

I couldn't allow her say it, I couldn't even let her consider it, and so I ended it instantly. I grabbed her neck, and like a switch, I turned her off.

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**Please Review. *Spoiler/preview, Bella is not dead, but she will no longer have her freedom either. Darkward and his pet Bella up next.**


	5. Ch 4 Journey of Truth

**Finding Heaven**

_A/N: Ok, so this chapter starts with a little background info on Bella, a bit of a prequel, but then it gets into Bella becoming Edward's 'pet'. _

~Chapter 4 –_Journey of Truth~_

Bella POV

I had a good life. I never really wanted for anything, and I never really expected much, so I was never disappointed. My mother was wildly eccentric and always looking for the next great adventure, and I was calm and level headed. My parents divorced when I was young, but I was Ok with that. I spent a couple weeks with my dad every summer, and would often spend holidays with him as well. But right before my sophomore year of high school, my mom got a book deal that would require her to travel to do some research, so I went to live with my dad.

Starting a new school was tough, but I tried to make the best of it. I made a small group of friends, but nothing too deep and long lasting. I was just biding my time until my mother came back from Europe. I loved my father, but we just didn't seem to understand each other.

The phone was ringing as I came in the house after school, and with my dad working, I ran to answer it.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, mom. What's wrong?" I asked concerned from her panicked tone.

"Bella, I love you, always remember that." She said quickly, and then the phone went silent.

"Mom…" no response. "Mom?" I asked, but she was gone.

Terrified at the alarm in her voice, I started calling around trying to find someone who could help. I called her boyfriend Phil first, but he hadn't heard from her, and then I called the American embassy in Italy. They told me they'd keep her description on file, but other than that, there was nothing they could do.

A few days later, I got her letter….

_My Dearest Bella, _

_I've run into some trouble, and I'm afraid it's not going to end well. I've been in Volterra researching vampires, and as unbelievable as it sounds, they are all real. I've found out so much, but the last thing I want is to scare you, so I'm not going to tell you too many details. I know this all sounds crazy, but Baby, you know I'd never lie to you. I'm telling you these things, because I want you to be conscious of the true world we live in. Convince your father to move somewhere sunnier, and always stay in crowded areas. Vampires are strong, but they don't want to be exposed, which is why I think they're after me now. Do some research Bella, there are a lot of falsities out there, but there are some truths too. Keep an open mind, but above all else, don't do anything reckless. Stay away from Europe, but more importantly, stay as far away from Volterra as possible. Always remember that I love you, and I will always be with you._

_All of my love,_

_Mom_

…_.._

I thought the whole thing was nonsense, but I couldn't get it out of my head either. Over the next two years, I accepted the fact that my mother was dead. She would have never been absent from my life if she were still alive, and I spent that time grieving her loss. But I also spent that time following her last request. It didn't matter whether I believed it or not, I researched vampires anyway, and most of what I found was terrifying.

I soon found myself completely engrossed in vampire folklore. They were horrible monstrous demons, and if they were real, then the world was a much more sinister place than anyone ever imagined. I tried to forget about it, but the nagging uncertainty just wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't tell anyone about my obsession, because they probably would have had me committed, but I just needed to know the truth, even if it killed me.

"I have something for you, it's a graduation present." Jacob said with a smile as he held up a charm bracelet with a wooden wolf hanging from it.

"Jacob, it's beautiful, thank you." I said, and smiled at him.

Jacob was my best friend, and he was really the only person from Washington, besides my dad, who I knew I would remain in contact with after I went away to college. We grew up together, and he was always the highlight of my time at my dad's house.

"I made it myself."

"Wait, you made this?" I liked the wood carving even more, knowing he had made it himself.

"Yeah, well I wanted you to have something special to remember me by, when you're off at college filling your brain with all that trivial information." He said with a wink.

"Jacob, I don't need anything to remember you by, you're my best friend."

"So, Europe for the summer huh?"

"Yep, that's the plan."

"I wish I could go with you."

"Jake, I'll be fine." I tried assuring him because I knew he was worried about me, _if only I could assure myself as well_.

Jacob and I were very close. Most of my school friends thought we were _more than friends_, but that just wasn't the case. Even though I was older, Jake always treated me like his little sister, and he was always very protective of me.

"Things are really going to be boring around here without you," he told me, then gave me a hug and we said goodbye. I had to hold back the tears as the magnitude of the situation overtook me, because that could have been the last time I ever saw him, or Charlie. If my mom was really killed by the monsters, then there was a good chance that I would be too. That potential threat alone should have been enough to make me stay home, but I just couldn't move on with my life without answers.

I read so many different legends about vampires from all over the world, and they all said they originated in Transylvania. I thought about going to Romania first, but my mother clearly stated Volterra, so I went straight to Italy. My great grandmother still lived in Florence, so I made arrangements to stay with her while I questioned the locals about what they knew.

The more time I spent in Italy however, the more the possibility of vampires being real, seemed unlikely. No one claimed to know anything, and if they did know of someone who went missing, they just dismissed it and came up with some kind of probable excuse. I went to Volterra, but I didn't find anything, so I returned to Florence. After being in Italy with my grandmother for a month, and finding absolutely nothing, I decided to actually enjoy the rest of my summer there.

My journey to learn the truth turned into nothing more than a vacation, until I read something interesting in the newspaper.

…_**..**_

_****Volterra Tours****_

_Come take this private tour of Volterra's rich histories and long forgotten truths._

…_**..**_

There was something about the ad, which made me resume my investigation. Perhaps it was the 'forgotten truths' part, but I knew I needed to go back to Volterra.I had already been there once, but maybe if I actually took a tour, then I could get some extra information.

I was walking by the Uffitzi Gallery, when a man dressed like a cupid statue completely violated me. He wouldn't leave me alone, and he completely crossed the line, so I punched him. Being the daughter of a police chief, I knew exactly how to throw a decent punch, so I wasn't surprised that the guy backed off after that. I started walking off when I saw exactly what I had set out to find, a Volterra tour bus.

I walked over to the man who was obviously the bus driver, and asked him if there was room for one more. The man was very strange, and he twisted his face in a way that made him almost look inhuman. He said they were full, and then he drove the bus away.

I then decided to go to the library and see what kind of books they had on vampires, when I suddenly looked up and saw the same man from the bus. But when I looked at him again, I was surprised at how young he looked, and then it was hard to not look at him. He was absolutely beautiful. I had never seen anyone with a more perfect face, and again, he looked inhuman. He was far more glorious than any normal person; he was more like a Greek god, or even a fallen angel.

I found myself gawking at him, so I quickly pushed his perfection out of my mind. I never swooned over a guy before, and I wasn't about to start while I was so focused on learning the truth about my mother. We had a strange conversation, which included me embarrassing myself, and then he left.

A couple more weeks of research went by, when I decided that the only thing left to do was go back to Volterra and finally go on a tour. I rented a room at a hotel in the city, and then found the tour company which was responsible for the ad I saw in the newspaper. The tour guide was very beautiful, and she claimed to have exclusive access to certain historic sites.

Despite completely engulfing myself in vampire legends, my mind kept returning to the achingly beautiful bus driver guy. I was actually thinking about him when the tour I was on was about to visit one of the exclusive sites, and then there he was.

I told myself to stay focused on the real reason why I was there, but this guy was just so mesmerizing, that I found myself letting him lead me away from my tour group. We spent a few hours together, and my fascination with him only grew. His name was Edward, and he had completely captivated me. When it was time to head back to my hotel room, I had the hardest time saying goodbye to him out of fear I'd never see him again. I never felt that way before, and I never had such an instant connection with anyone in my life. I laid awake that night, and started obsessing over Edward.

_What the hell was I doing, I didn't even really know the guy?_ So realizing that sleep was impossible, I decided to go back to Marcus's secret chambers and see if I could find out anything about vampires there.

The cool night air mixed with the ancient location, made me feel very uneasy. _I was finally close to some answers, I could feel it._

"Bella?" Edward's voice sounded in the darkness.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" He actually startled me a bit, and completely took me off guard.

"I'd ask you the same question," he said back.

"Oh, I was just looking for something I dropped earlier," I lied horribly.

"This late at night?" He challenged me.

"Why are you here?" I asked confused why _he_ would be there that late at night.

Suddenly he grabbed my arm forcefully, and pulled me away from the street lights into the shadows. My arm actually hurt from how tight he grabbed me, but I dismissed it.

I was confused from his behavior, but he said that he was trying to avoid anyone seeing us, which I understood. I knew that the _secret chambers_ wasn't open after hours, and we'd probably get in trouble if we were caught.

Edward seemed concerned about me, so I actually told him something that I hadn't told anyone else…the truth. He was amused by my real reason for being in Italy, but he never called me stupid for it.

It happened so fast, that I never saw it coming. We were just talking about my insane mission, when a van came barreling towards us. We didn't have time to react, I saw the van, and then the next thing I knew, the loud torturous sound of distorting metal filled the night.

I waited for the pain, but there was nothing. My life didn't flash before my eyes, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel, because I wasn't dead. Somehow, the van missed us. I had my eyes closed, but then I opened them and saw the van molded around Edward, as if he stopped the van with his body but it did no damage to him. _That couldn't be right, could it? _

I looked at him concerned, but he was entirely unharmed, so unless the van was made of jello, there was something very _different_ about Edward.

"You…you..?" Then he moved slightly, and everything went black.

…

I woke up with the worst migraine I ever had in my life, though after such a horrible nightmare, a headache wasn't surprising. I sat up in my bed, and looked around confused, _where the hell was I?_

I tried to clear my head, but the pounding was so loud that I couldn't think straight. The last thing I remembered was talking with Edward….then there was a loud screeching noise….then a van twisted into scrap metal….around Edward's unharmed body.

It wasn't a nightmare, it was real.

And if it was real, then there were only two explanations that I could come up with; one, Edward was Superman, or two, Edward was inhuman in a completely darker way.

The door to the strange room started opening, and Edward walked in slowly then shut it behind him.

"What the hell are you?" I asked as I backed away from him quickly.

"I think you already know," he said quietly.

_Did I?_

"I want to hear you say it…out loud," I demanded.

He took another step closer to me, and I took another back.

"I'm exactly what you came to Italy to find," he said flatly.

"No, you couldn't be," I said in denial. There was no way Edward could be a vampire, he just couldn't be. Edward was breathtakingly beautiful, and funny, and nothing like how any of the books described vampires to be. But even more than those things, he walked outside during the day and didn't explode from the sun.

His lips twisted in a strange way that was evil looking, but still beautiful.

"You came to Volterra to find vampires, well congratulations, you found them." He brought his hand to his face and looked to be poking at his eye, and then he looked up at me with the reddest eyes I had ever seen.

Without my permission, I jumped backwards and fell into a chair, causing it to break. Luckily, I didn't hurt myself in the process, but as I was sitting on the broken chair on the ground, suddenly everything became perfectly clear. Edward wasn't beautiful, he was a monster. Though most stories I read were about horribly ugly vampires, I did find one that said they were actually attractive and that's how they lured their prey; which would explain Edward's striking appearance.

"Do you know what makes the eyes red?" He spoke with a quiet, malicious tone. "Blood. Of course, no blood runs through our veins. The blood in my eyes now is from a bar patron I drank earlier in the day. I wonder what your mother tasted like. It's funny, we've all killed so many different people, that I could have very well been the one who drank her, and not even cared enough to remember her face."

Something in me just snapped. I knew I would be killed in the process, but I had to at least _try_ to avenge my mother. I grabbed a sharp piece of the broken chair, and stood faster than I ever had before, and lunged at him with it. He moved so fast that I didn't even see it, I blinked and he had the piece of wood out of my hand.

"Did you seriously just try to steak me?" He chuckled darkly.

I grabbed another piece of wood so I could try again, and when I stood and turned back to him, he just stared at me with a smirk.

"Determined, aren't you?" He said, and then he surprised me by putting his arms out straight to the side. "Alright then, give me your best shot."

He took me aback for a moment, _why would he let me kill him_? But I wasn't about to question him out loud, and I wasn't about to waste my only opportunity to kill him either. I held the wood so tightly that I was sure to have splinters, and I thrust it as hard as I could, right to his chest.

"OW!" I screamed out in horrible agony as I felt my hand shatter from the impact. The wood did nothing to him, he was harder then stone. I had read thousands of books about vampires, and all said wood through the heart would kill them…all were wrong.

He walked over to where I was cradling my hand on the floor, and smiled cruelly. "Nothing you do, can hurt me. It's impossible for a human to injure a vampire in any way. But that was fun, we should try it again sometime."

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," he replied emotionlessly.

At that moment, all the fear left my body. I already knew I would be killed on my mission to find answers, and I already made peace with it. "What are you waiting for then? Just kill me and get it over with!" I yelled at him.

He seemed to be quite amused by my sudden fierceness. He put his icy hand on my neck, and leaned into me. "Not yet. We're going to have a little fun first," he whispered in my ear.

"UGH!" I screamed and instinctually tried to claw at his eyes, but again, that move just ended up hurting me.

He laughed again, then turned and walked out of the room.

There were no windows in the room, so I had no idea if it was night or day. I could have been in that cold room for hours or days, there was absolutely no way to judge time. The pain in my broken hand was nothing; it was just in the fuzzy background compared to what I was feeling at that moment. I accepted my death, but being locked in the dark room was far worse. Only then did I realize how stupid I had been, I overlooked the possibility that vampires could be nothing at all like what the stories explained them to be. There was nothing I could do, except wait for my torture to be over and hope that he'd kill me soon. I curled myself on the ground and drifted in and out of sleep, but his ruby eyes kept haunting me.

I considered the possibility that I had actually died when the van crashed and I was sent to hell, because hell was the closest comparison to my reality. But it was far too cold to be hell.

Sometime later, I opened my eyes to see the vampire standing over me. Startled, I threw my body back and cowered into the wall. I wasn't afraid to die, but I wasn't going to stay calm with him so close to me either.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, sarcastically.

"Why are you keeping me here?" I demanded.

"Because, I can."

He sat on the couch in the middle of the room, and grabbed what looked like a remote control. He pushed some buttons and a flat screen TV came up out of the dresser. He sat back and put his feet up as he started surfing through the channels. I just stared at him as he nonchalantly dismissed me, and acted as if he was nothing more than a human relaxing.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled frustrated.

He turned his head slowly to glare at me. "You're not really in any position to be yelling like that, so I suggest you stay quiet."

I huffed, and then sat back down on the ground, as far from the strange vampire as I could. The TV was in Italian so I didn't understand it, but that didn't matter because it wasn't like I could concentrate on it anyway. We both sat in the room without speaking for hours, when eventually I just couldn't stand it anymore.

"What do you have planned for me?"

"I'm going to kill you, I thought we already discussed that," he said without turning to look at me.

"Ok, when?"

"When I'm thirsty again. I just fed so I'm not ready yet, and it would be such a waste to just end your life without drinking you."

"How often do you…feed?" I asked with a trembling voice.

"Every several days, or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less."

"Did you kill my mother?"

"Wow, you really aren't holding anything back are you?"

"If I'm going to die anyway, then at least give me some answers."

"Fine. But I already told you that vampires don't care about humans enough to remember them before we feed."

"Yeah, but my mom wasn't just killed for her blood, she knew things, and she knew they were after her. Something like that would have been more memorable, right?"

"Maybe, but if that's the case, then it wasn't me."

I had no reason to believe him, but I did. I was sure he wasn't the vampire who killed my mother, and for a reason that I didn't understand, I was extremely relieved.

"So, how long have you been a vampire?" I asked, but he was just annoyed by my question.

"What difference does it make to you?"

"It doesn't," I said quickly then returned to staring at the wall.

Several long, quiet moments past. "Since nineteen eighteen." I didn't know what made him answer my question, and I didn't know what to think of it either. "I don't remember much from my human life, but I was brought here from Chicago, and I immediately went to work for Aro."

"Who's Aro?"

"He's the leader. He rules the vampire world along with Caius and Marcus, but Aro is the most powerful."

"Marcus….like St. Marcus?" I asked, and then I realized that I was actually in St. Marcus's chambers.

"Yeah, I guess it's kind of funny. Humans here celebrate the legend of Marcus driving the vampires out of the city, little do they know that Marcus is one of the most powerful vampires there is."

There was a sudden knock on the door, before it crept open. I tried to make myself invisible, even though it was completely pointless.

"Edward, Aro wants to talk to you…now."

"What the fuck, Heidi? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Edward yelled at her.

"I did knock."

"Well, wait until I open it for now on." He stood up to leave, but then stopped in front of the female vampire to glare at her. "If you even breathe on her, I swear, I won't hesitate to rip your fucking head off."

"You're so sexy when you make malicious threats," she told him, then kissed the air between them and bit her teeth together loudly.

"Keep dreaming," he told her, and then left.

I recognized the female vampire right away; she was the tour guide whose group I was in before Edward pulled me away from her. Looking back on it, the whole thing just confused me. Obviously, the tour group became meals for the vampire leaders, but why did Edward want me to leave with him?

"Well, don't you smell yummy?" The female vampire said with a sadistic grin.

I looked away from her, and kept my mouth shut.

"You know, if you were anyone's but Edward's, I wouldn't hesitate to take you for myself." She waited for me to respond, _but really, what the hell did she want me to say about that?_

She walked closer to me, and then blew cool air in my face, before taking three steps back. "Make sure you tell Edward that I _blew_ on you, not _breathed _on you." She smiled again, then left, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

*******Please Review***** Back to EPOV next***


	6. Ch 5 Monster

**Finding Heaven**

Warning: _Rated _**M**_ for graphic _ADULT _content and _LEMONY_ encounters_**.**

~Chapter 5 –_Monster_~

EPOV

I guess I shouldn't have left Heidi alone with the girl, but if I really thought about it, a part of me hoped that she would just kill her before I got back so I could finally be rid of her. Of course, I'd have to kill Heidi for it; I couldn't go around making empty threats.

I walked into the throne room, but I could already hear from his mind why he wanted to talk to me; he knew about the girl. Aro hated when I responded to his unspoken thoughts, so I waited to talk until after he addressed his issue.

"Edward, my young friend, you have been very naughty indeed," Aro said, whimsically.

"I can explain," I lied. I really couldn't explain my actions, because it confused even me.

"Of course you can." Aro put his hand out, and waited for me to take it.

He held my hand only for a moment, before releasing me. "You understand that she can never leave here. Of course I don't care what you do with her in the mean time, but when you tire of her, she must be killed right away. Are we in an understanding?"

"What has he done?" Caius asked annoyed.

"Edward has gotten himself a pet, his singer, none the less. It's actually quite amusing," Aro answered.

Caius had the same reaction that I would have had if anyone else was doing what I did, pure repulsion. "Why would you keep a human alive?"

"Oh he doesn't know, she just intrigues him." Aro said in an almost fascinated manner. Again, Caius looked disgusted, and Marcus looked….bored.

"She will not be freed," I assured them.

"Wonderful. I do love when everything can be resolved in a peaceful manner." And then, Aro excused me.

I walked slowly back to my chamber, and tried to convince myself that the whole thing was stupid. I wasn't thirsty, but I could easily drink her anyway and it'd be a perfectly enjoyable experience. Eventually I'd get over my repeat craving for her, I had eternity to get over it. I felt a huge sense of relief as I finally decided to stop stalling, and just kill her immediately.

The venom in my mouth started welling up in anticipation of the coming lusciousness. I opened the door, and smiled as I imagined her blood washing down my throat. My lack of thirst didn't matter, the thought of her made my throat dry regardless.

My singer looked up at me, and her blood was even more potent than ever, since I was no longer trying to resist it. I walked to her slowly, I wanted to savory every second of it. She stared at me, and I could actually see the comprehension of my intentions creep on her face, but that just made the _monster _in me rejoice. The smell of fear only added to the intoxicating aroma of blood, except there was no smell of fear, the girl wasn't afraid at all.

She kept her eyes locked to mine for a few long strange moments; it was like we had a whole wordless conversation with only our eyes in those moments. I was used to hearing unspoken thoughts, but this was different, this was almost deeper in a way, a true understanding but leaving me completely bewildered at the same time. She then, ever so slightly, looked to the side and purposefully exposed her neck; it was almost like she was asking for it.

I knew from previous conversations that she'd rather I kill her then keep her prisoner in the confines of my chamber, and the _monster_ in me sulked. I never had prey be so willing before, and it wasn't something I enjoyed. I was a predator, and I wanted to hunt my prey, or at least taste her fear.

I sat down on the couch, and the venom in my mouth all but dried. I needed to make her afraid of me, it was the only way I could kill her with any dignity. I peered back over at her, and saw a single tear roll down her check, before she quickly wiped it away. She wasn't crying out of fear, it was out of the heightened anticipation of her death, only for it to be further postponed.

A couple more days past, and the girl became more and more stagnant in the far corner of my room. She kept her face turned away from me most of the time, but as she peeked at me briefly, I could see a significant change in her face. She looked pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. I didn't remember much about being human, but I knew that when a vampire goes a while without feeding, dark circles would encompass the eyes; humans must be similar in that aspect. I had her trapped for four days, and I never once thought about actually feeding her, _I guess I wasn't very good with pets_.

I went to the deli nearby, and felt ridiculous as I waited in line like a meaningless human.

"Edward?"

I turned to see someone who I hadn't seen in a few years.

"James, how are you?" I greeted him. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Uh, you know, traveling. I always preferred the nomadic lifestyle." James worked as a tracker for Aro before Demetri came into the picture, of course that was long before I joined the Volturi. Aro always prided himself on having the best, and James was second compared to the flawlessness of Demetri's tracking skill. I met James a few years back, when he preformed some mission for Aro. I never understood why Aro didn't just send one of the current Volturi guard members to do whatever he had James do for him, but it wasn't my place to question him.

"Of course. But why are you in a deli?" I asked him.

"Oh, I was just buying some sandwiches as bait." He was thinking about some red headed vampire at the time, so I didn't know if he was telling the truth, not that I really cared anyway.

"Why are _you_ here?" He asked me.

"Bait, for the fish," I said, using the same excuse he gave me. It was really the only excuse that would make any sense, anyway.

I bought three sandwiches and several water bottles, figuring that would last her a while, and I went back to my chamber. She was still in the same position she was in when I left, and her eyes were closed. If I hadn't been able to hear her heartbeat and low breathing, I would have thought she was dead.

"Hey," I nudged her with my foot, but she didn't respond. I bent down and touched her face, and knew right away that she had a fever. _Shit_. Even if I was thirsty and wanted to kill her, blood of the ill was disgusting.

I tilted her head back and poured some water in, which woke her up and she started gagging. She was barely conscious and obviously weak. I picked her up off the floor, and laid her on the couch, and then poured more water down her throat, which she finally swallowed.

"Hey, I got some food for you; maybe you just need to eat something."

"Uhh," she moaned. Damn it, why the hell weren't there any vampires who were doctors in their human life?

I sat by the foot of the couch, and waited. Every hour or so, I'd pour some more water down her throat, but the fever wouldn't break. I moved so I was sitting by her head, and I put my cold hand on her forehead, trying to cool her down. It worked a little, but she was still hot, so reluctantly I squeezed myself onto the couch so I was lying next to her, and I wrapped her in my arms. It was very strange having her so close, her scent was strong, but there was enough of the illness in her that made the closeness less tempting. I counted her breaths, and timed her heartbeats, and at one point, she turned her body in my arms so she was facing me, and nestled herself into my chest.

Eventually, she got too cold, so I moved myself away from her and covered her up.

"Why do you keep giving me water?" She croaked after I just poured more into her mouth.

"Uh, because you need it."

"Please, just let me die…or kill me, or whatever." Her voice was so quiet, that a human would have had a hard time understanding her.

"Fine, I'll kill you as soon as you're healthy again," I whispered placating. She looked at me with disbelief and resentment heavy in her eyes, but she didn't have the strength to call me on it.

Over the next few days, she gradually got her strength back with the help of regular feedings and my cool touch when needed. And she looked better too. The dark circles disappeared from under her eyes, and she got some of the delicious color back in her cheeks.

"What were you like as a human?"

"What difference does it make?" I asked, confused as to why she would care.

"Just curious, that's all." Her curiosity made me even more curious about her locked mind, she always surprised me with the things she would say.

"I don't remember much from then. Human memories fade over time, unless the vampire constantly replays them until they're cemented in its mind permanently."

"You don't remember anything?"

"I vaguely remember my mother. I know that I had a father, but I can't picture his face, I'm fairly certain he died before I did. My sister Alice is a vampire too, she lives in America somewhere."

"Your biological sister is a vampire?" She seemed surprised.

"Yeah. After I came here, Aro read my fuzzy memories of my sister, and he figured that since extra abilities can sometimes run in families, he wanted her to be changed as well."

"Extra abilities?"

"Well all vampires are strong and fast, but some have other gifts as well. I can read minds, and Alice can see the future."

"You can read minds?" Of all the horror I put her through, the fact that I could read minds seemed to be the only thing that scared her.

"Everyone's, apart from yours."

"You can't read my mind?" She seemed relieved, but also self-conscious. "Is there something wrong with me, or something?"

I had to laugh at her a bit. "See, I tell you I can read minds, and you think there's something wrong with you."

"I'm glad I amuse you," she said bitterly, and we both turned away from each other.

"Edward?" She asked after a few minutes.

"What?"

"How much longer am I going to be…_here_?"

"I honestly don't know."

"If I wrote a letter to my dad, would you mail it for me?"

_This girl was pretty stupid if she thought I'd help an insignificant human in any way._ _I only fed her and gave her water so she'd be healthy enough to feed on later. I wasn't about to start doing her any favors_.

"Ok," I said without my permission. _What the hell? "_But I'll need to read it first to make sure you don't write anything about your whereabouts or vampires."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. She was surprised that I agreed, but she couldn't have been as surprised as I was.

She wrote the letter quickly with some paper I had on my dresser, and I read it of course. It was a bunch of sap about how she loved him, and he should move on with his life and whatnot. The girl was completely selfless, which was rare in humans. I spitefully found my fascination with her returning to full force, and even elevating with every passing day. She seemed to relax a bit around me, and she'd even sit next to me on the couch.

We spent most of the time talking, playing chess, or watching TV, which was all in Italian so she didn't understand any of it. I would often translate it for her, which she actually laughed at when I was doing the female parts. Her laugh was unlike anything I ever heard before, and I was not something I could ever forget.

"Oh, wait, go back!" She yelled as I was flipping through the channels.

"What?" I asked confused, but went back anyway.

"There! '_I Love Lucy'_ AND IT'S IN ENGLISH!" She was so excited that she actually started bouncing in her seat. I smiled at her, and she absentmindedly leaned into me as she situated herself to watch the show. I never found any sitcoms entertaining, especially American ones, but while watching the show with her, I found myself laughing when she did, and at the stupidest things.

She had been locked in my chamber for almost three weeks, and she never once complained about boredom, or begged me to let her go. After basking in her glorious scent for so long, I started comparing her 'flavor' more to spring flowers in the warm summer breeze, and less like food. She smelled amazing, but I became accustom to it, and resisting was like second nature.

"Hey, get up, let's go for a walk." I told her after watching yet another old rerun from the classic sitcom channel. It was strange; I had become increasingly bored in the monotony of my eternity, but since the girl came into my life and I forced us both into the prison of tedious TV and nonsense chatter, I had yet to feel uninterested in anything. I made it my hobby to learn everything there was to know about her, and even when there was nothing to be said, just being in her quiet presence alone was far more peaceful than anything I ever experienced before.

"A walk? Where?"

"Just around. Aren't you going stir crazy a little?"

"I'm as fine as I can be."

"We won't be gone long," I assured her.

"Ok. But isn't there a rule against a human walking around the compound, or something?"

I shrugged. "Rules are made to be broken." She looked at me concerned. "Don't worry about it. Aro knows you're here with me, and as long as I stay with you, it'll be fine."

We walked out of my door, and down the hall towards the large common area of the compound. I gave her a brief history of the building, but she remained quiet the whole time and stayed close to me.

"Edward, didn't anyone tell you not to play with your food?" Jane asked smugly as we crossed paths. I didn't respond to Jane's comments, I had been shocked by her before, and it wasn't an experience I wanted to repeat.

We walked past several other vampires on our route around the compound, and each time one came near, Bella would grab my hand and cling to my side.

"No one is going to hurt you…_right now_," I told her, but that didn't stop her from doing it.

When we got back to my room, something had definitely changed about her. She was edgy, and restless, and she kept pacing around the room.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

Her eyes lifted until they met mine. "How much longer?"

"For what?" I asked even though I already knew what she was asking. It had been several days since she asked me the last time, so her question took me by surprise. But then again, most of what she did took me by surprise.

"How long…until you kill me?"

I pressed my lips together, and really tried to search within myself for an answer. She deserved a real answer.

"You've put up with enough. When you want it to end, I'll end it." I said with as much conviction as I was capable of on the subject.

Her heartbeats started increasing, and I could see the determination in her chocolate eyes.

"It needs to end."

"And you're ready, right now?"

Unable to say it out loud, she nodded.

I meant it when I told her that I'd end it when she was ready, so if she was ready, then so was I. I could feel the _monster_ within me awaken from the dormant state it had been in for weeks, and my mouth salivated with venom as a response. I was not human, and I did not have human compassion for the girl. She was just a girl, just like half of the human race, and her life would end eventually, so there was no point in putting it off any longer. We had developed into a strange unnatural coexistence, like a lion befriending a lamb, but in the end, the lamb always had to die.

I walked closer to her and placed my hand on her neck, and the other on the back of her head. I leaned my head towards her, and brushed my lips against the vein pulsing just under her delicate porcelain skin.

I wanted to devour her, to consume her whole. I wanted to take her apart piece by piece, and dissect her to see how she worked. I yearned to hold her heart in my hand. I wanted to bathe in her blood and never come clean, to live like that for eternity. I wanted to remove her head, and display it in my chamber so that everyone would know that she belonged to me.

But all of those desires were completely lost to me, because above all, I _needed_ to keep her intact. Killing her would alter her, and I had already past the point where I could survive in this world without her, and I wondered how I ever managed to live before her.

A new desire overtook me, a stronger one, one that couldn't be ignored. My lips, so close to her skin, my teeth, waiting to escape and sink into her; they fought for dominance…and my lips won. I kissed her softly as her breathing spiked, and her hands clinched tightly into fists around my shirt.

My lips trailed up her neck, and on to her chin. I waited for her to pull away out of disgust, but she held on to me as if she was about to fall into an endless black hole, and I was the only thing holding her up. I moved my mouth until it was hovering above hers, waiting, hoping I'd find the will to stop.

_This was wrong, on so many levels._

She was human, my prey, and the source of the most delicious blood in the world. I saw a movie poster once of a human kid who had sex with a pie, this wasn't much different. I heard of vampires who desired humans sexually, incubuses and succubuses. _Is that what I was becoming?_

I couldn't think anymore, because nothing seemed to make any sense. I pressed my lips to hers, moving them gently, and was surprised when she moved hers with them. I was well aware that a single moment of failed control could easily kill her, but she had already asked to die anyway. For a vampire, there was no greater desire than that of blood. Few got to experience the blood of their singer, but those who had, described it as pure ecstasy. But in that moment, my desire to have her blood inside me was nothing compared to my need to be _inside_ her.

I kissed her harder, and she responded by parting her lips, and allowing my entrance. The gentle kiss erupted into a frenzied passion, as I desperately tried to hold on to my sanity and not kill her from excess force.

I still couldn't believe that she actually wanted a _monster_ kissing her, but the longer our lips danced together, the more she seemed to be welcoming it. Her tongue met mine eagerly, and a new smell filled the air, _arousal_.

I didn't need any more of an invitation than that, not that I'd ever ask for one. I pulled her shirt over her head and our eyes locked briefly, before she reached to unbutton my pants. _I felt like I was going to explode._

I unsnapped her bra, and let my mouth find its way to her breasts, while I removed her pants. Her skin was soft like butter, and fragile as paper; it took all my restraint to not break and tear into her, and it was the single most difficult thing I ever did.

I guided her over so she was lying on the couch, and spread her legs so I could position myself between them. She caressed her hands up my back, and then knotted them in my hair. Every inch of my body tensed as I pushed my way inside of her, as gently as I was capable of. She held herself against me tighter, and gasped as my cold hardness broke through her delicate barrier. The heat from her body poured off of her in waves as I pumped into her, and despite my frigid temperature, her skin blazed from the intensity between us.

Even though she was nothing more than human, with weak human muscles, I could feel her intimate walls tightening around me, and taking us both into a throbbing, pulsating, explosion, followed by the hum of numbing bliss. I never experienced anything like it, and I knew in that moment, I'd never be able to live without it again.

The _monster _in me changed, and desired nothing more than her. I knew my hunger for her would never be satisfied by her blood, because that's not what I craved anymore. My world completely changed. When I was turned into a vampire, I forgot my life before, and now it was happening again. I was forgetting about my life before, because nothing before her mattered.

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***Too much? Not enough? Please give me some feedback, and ****REVIEW****!* ;-P**


	7. Ch 6 Sands of Time

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: _I just realized that the idea of Edward wanting to _EAT_ Bella, but then has _SEX_ with her instead, is sick. And all you people reading this story are twisted individuals for enjoying it._ _Please don't misunderstand me; I LOVE your wacko ways and the fact that I'm not the only crazy one. So, THANK YOU so much for continuing to read. With that being said, let's all be sickos together._ Lol. ;-_P_

_(The A/N was meant to be a joke, please don't take it seriously)_

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~Chapter 6 –_Sands of Time_~

EPOV

I imagined what it was like to drink her blood so many times. I watched her sleep for weeks every night, and fought the temptation. I could taste her on the back of the tongue when I breathed her in, and the flavor was intoxicating. But it was all nothing compared to the astonishing bliss of being _inside_ her. I hadn't imagined such a feeling could exist. If I had, I would have gone searching for it; I would have combed the planet for it…for _her_.

I had sex before, not only with Heidi, but others as well. Sex was always easy, simple, an animalistic release, rough and careless. All were shit compared to the torturous restrained ecstasy, of being with the human girl…_my Bella_.

I held her as she slept, and ached to know her dreams. I never wanted to hear someone's thoughts more. I couldn't see past her, I couldn't think beyond the moment. Nothing in the world existed besides her, lying peacefully in my arms.

"Edward." I looked at her face, and watched her eyes flutter but remain shut. She was dreaming, and she was dreaming about me. But was it a nightmare? A small smile played at the corner of her lips, and a wave of contentment washed over me knowing she was happy in that moment.

I kissed her closed eyes softly, and kept my face close to hers, just basking in all her glory. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and shook in a way that startled her awake. Her eyes popped open and she automatically jerked away from me. I could have held her in place easily, but I didn't want to hurt her.

"Shh, it's Ok. It's me." I said like a daft moron. I was probably the reason why she was afraid, and there I was, trying to calm her.

She stared at me for a moment, almost like she was searching for something, then she sighed and melted back into my chest. Whatever nightmare she had, she dismissed it, and returned to her previous peaceful state.

We laid tangled together for a few more hours, but then a low rumbling noise filled the silence.

"Was that your stomach?" I whispered, but it seemed so loud after the serenity of the previous hours.

"Don't worry about it." She said just as quietly.

"Don't worry? When was the last time I fed you?" I asked, realizing it had been over a day, at least.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." I gently moved her off of me and got up to get dressed.

"I don't want you to leave," she protested.

"Bella, you need to eat."

"I'd rather you just stay here with me."

I shook my head at her, "I won't be gone long."

I finished getting dressed, put my mud brown contacts in, and then left to find her something to eat. I felt horrible for neglecting her, and I swore to myself that it wouldn't happen again.

As I was walking to the eatery a few blocks away, the dry burning in my throat warned me that I better feed as well, before I returned. I quickly found a homeless man, and drained him in less than a minute. After I was finished, I continued on my mission to get Bella something to eat, when a blonde woman approached me.

"Hi." She batted her eyes, and leaned into me.

"Uh, no English," I told her, but she didn't seem to care.

"That's Ok, we don't need to speak," she said smiling. _Stupid fucking horny, American females .It wasn't even afternoon yet, and this woman was already drunk and hitting on the first guy she sees._

I raised my eyebrows at her, and gestured for her to follow me. She licked her lips, and I led her to her death in the back of the building. Even if I felt sympathy for killing humans the way Alice did, I'd still never feel bad for killing that particular woman, she deserved it.

Finally, after over filling on blood, I bought Bella some Italian take out. I was heading back to the compound, when a unique scent filled my senses. I turned towards the source of the scent, and searched my mind for the reason why it smelled so familiar. On the other side of the street, there was a man handing out flyers, and I realized that he was what I smelled. I walked over to him curiously, and he turned to face me. I never saw the man before, but his smell was very familiar, and very appetizing.

"Um, have you seen this girl?" He asked cautiously, and handed me a paper. I stared at him intently, and was confused as to why he was so tempting, especially since I had just fed.

"Uh, do you speak English?"He asked, and finally, I looked at the paper….

…**..**

**MISSING YOUTH**

Isabella Swan, 18 yrs

…**..…**

There was a brief description, an Italian translation, and a picture of Bella, and then I understood. This man smelled familiar, because he was Bella's father; often human family members smelled similar.

"I think I may have seen her before," I told him in my heavy Italian accent, without even thinking. His blood wasn't as potent as my singer's, but it was still more delicious smelling than any other I tasted before, and my predator instincts came out instantaneously.

I listened to his mind, but there wasn't anything to hear. His thoughts weren't completely concealed like Bella's were, but they were definitely quieter than all others. As far as I could tell, he wasn't thinking of anything other than my words and his lost daughter.

"Where? When did you see her?" He asked desperately.

"Please, come. We talk in private."

The man was wary of me, as most humans were, but his distress over his missing child pushed all his fear away. I led him to an obscure location, and turned to face him. Venom welled in my mouth, and my throat burned to be quenched by his distinctive blood. Like his daughter, it didn't matter that I wasn't thirsty; my body would easily accommodate the addition of _his_ sweet blood.

"Please, any information you have on her would mean the world to me."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and considered my options. The insignificant human was nobody, he was absolutely nothing. I didn't care about his life, and his blood was more appealing than any other…besides Bella's. I considered the fact that Bella was upset at the thought of me killing her mother, so I was sure that she'd hate me for killing her father, _but how would she ever know_?

I decided it was torture enough to resist Bella; I wouldn't put myself through the same hell for this man. I stepped forward so my teeth would have a better angle to sink into his neck, when he turned and looked at me with an expression which was exactly like Bella's.

I had Bella's face memorized, and I could see her in him. Looking at me with those wide chocolate eyes, expecting something without really knowing. DAMN IT. I was seriously losing it. _I couldn't kill Bella, now this?_ I started questioning myself as a vampire, and what my lack of nerve meant. If I cared about one… or two humans, did that mean I had to care about all of them? No. I wouldn't degrade myself more than I already had.

"I don't know where she is," I lied to him. "Last time, she was in the hotel." I turned and walked away, feeling completely emasculated.

I hated what I was becoming, I was disgusted by it. It was worse than Alice's disturbing lifestyle, and for the life of me, I couldn't escape it. I walked into my chamber and she was staring at me expectantly, and it was impossible not to smile at her. She was absolutely breathtaking.

"I got you some rigatoni and garlic bread."

"Garlic?" She seemed surprised.

I smiled again, and shook my head. "Garlic is about as damaging to vampires, as that wood you tried to steak me with."

She bit her bottom lip. "Sorry about that."

_Now I felt even worse for almost killing her father._

"Don't ever apologize to me. You have done nothing wrong."

She got up from the couch, and I assumed she was going to take her food from me, but instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me. I kissed her back, and she grabbed the bag I was holding, and put it on the floor. She pulled me down on top of her, as she laid back on the couch.

"You should eat," I said as her kisses left my lips, and moved to my neck in the most erotic way. She moaned something, and then actually bit my neck. Of course, her teeth did no damage to my skin and she didn't bite me hard enough to hurt herself, but I nearly exploded from the arousal it caused.

I didn't waste time with removing her clothes carefully; I just ripped them off and immediately thrust into her. Her body was like a symphony, and it moved with a certain cadence. She was the embodiment of harmony and peace, but caused explosive devastation in her wake.

_Beautiful. _

Like the last time, our bodies convulsed together and calmed into a hum of serenity. Her body became my heroin, but unlike if I were to drink her blood, this heroin I could have over and over again.

I kissed down her neck and had no urge to bite, but my lips didn't want to retreat either. My kisses trailed on over her breasts and down to her stomach…

"Oh my god. Bella, I'm so sorry." I said and pulled myself away from her.

"What?" She asked confused.

"You're covered in bruises." I never hated myself before that moment. I would have rather killed her quick then force her to endure being tortured by my carelessness. I should have known that we as different species, were incompatible.

"Edward, I'm fine, I promise. I didn't even notice until you just pointed them out."

I turned away from her, horrified.

"Hey," she caressed my face and I let her pull my chin so I was looking at her again. "I'm fine," she repeated as her eyes bore into mine.

"I hate hurting you." I said quietly, and I knew then that they were the most truthful words I ever spoke.

"Then don't pull away from me." Her lips met mine again, and we repeated our previous activity…but with a little extra restrain on my part.

It was hard to accept that she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but I wasn't going to question it either.

Over the next several days, we lived like newlyweds on our honeymoon, rarely ever apart, and dressed even less. We would separate only long enough for me to get her some food and new clothes, but then I was back at vampire speed, and back in her arms. I was worried about my cold body temperature, combined with the frigidness of the chamber, constantly being pressed against her bare body, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I think I've acclimated," she laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't feel cold anymore. Nothing is cold, or warm; it's all just…_numb_."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I had a feeling that her being _numb_ had nothing to do with temperature.

I could see my time with her passing. I felt like her life was slipping through my fingers, like the sands of time. Only a month, and yet I could see the miniscule changes in her. Changes no human would notice, changes that I never witnessed in any other before. Vampires were frozen, never different from one century to the next, but humans change every day. I never spent enough time with a human before to see it, but my Bella changing was just a constant reminder that one day, I'd be without her.

"I'll be back." I kissed the tip of her nose gently, and then left to get her some more food.

"Everyone's been whispering about you." Heidi appeared as I was exiting the compound.

"I really don't give a shit, Heidi," I said without stopping.

"Well aren't you lucky that Aro hasn't needed to touch you in a while. Everyone else around here is too terrified of you to tell him what you've been doing, so you've been in the clear. But how long do you think that's going to last for?"

"Aro knows about the girl, Heidi. What, don't you read the Volterra vampire gossip column?" I said annoyed that I was wasting time even speaking to her.

"Yes, but does he know that you've been fucking her?"

I stopped to look at her, and she smirked. The thing about being a mind reader is, it only comes in handy when the mind you're reading doesn't know you can do it, otherwise, like Heidi, they can control what they're thinking in the moment. Heidi was thinking about the human she just fed on, so her words took me by surprise.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," I said bitterly.

"Oh please, I can smell her bodily fluids all over you. Funny though, none of those fluids include her blood. Interesting right, or just plain nauseating; I guess it depends on how you look at it."

I turned away from her and continued walking; she, of course, followed. _Fucking bitch_.

"Everyone knows; and soon Aro will know too. He's going to make you kill her, or maybe he'll just kill her himself."

"No one is going to touch her," I said in a threatening tone.

"Ooo, the big bad human lover is making threats, consider me scared," she said mockingly. It took all my will power not to rip her head off. My desire to kill her was about dead even with what my desire to kill Bella had been in the beginning.

I turned to glare at her, and despite her sardonic tone, she immediately shut up and backed away a few steps. Heidi always thought she had an element of control over me, and she never once considered that I would turn on her, but I could hear from her mind just how afraid she was of me in that moment, even if she tried to hide it. She knew then that I could kill her, and never feel sorry about it.

I got Bella's food, and then hurried back to her. The atmosphere was changing, Heidi was actually right; if others were on to my unconventional relationship with a human, then it was only a matter of time until Aro figured it out as well. My sands of time with Bella seemed to fall at an increased rate. I was running out of time.

I watched her eat, and I considered how I wanted to broach the subject.

"Bella?"

She looked up at me, and her whole face sparkled with curiosity as she waited for me to ask my question.

"I can't let you leave here."

"I know," she said confused. We had already talked about the fact that she would never be able to leave, so she didn't understand why I was mentioning it again.

"But, maybe I could make it so you _could_ leave," I said cryptically.

"How?" She said with a smile, as if I was only joking with her.

"I could turn you," I said in only a whisper.

It was like all the light was sucked out of the room. Her face fell and paled, as she comprehended what I was asking her. But she didn't respond.

"If you were a vampire, you could come and go as you pleased. After the newborn phase is over, you could have your freedom back. We could even leave here if you wanted; others have left the Volturi, and the leaders never had a problem with it." I said in a rush. I waited for a response, but her eyes glazed over and she wiped a tear away, before she was able to talk.

"Edward, I can't," she breathed.

I furrowed my brow, and shook my head. "Why?"

"I could never do that, I could never kill people."

"You'll get used to it, in fact, you won't even think twice about it once you're changed."

"But, you think twice about it. You think about it every day, otherwise I wouldn't still be alive," she rebutted.

"No, you're different, I don't care about killing other humans," I said and she suddenly became very quiet and withdrawn. _Shit_.

"Oh come on Bella, you know that I kill people, it's what I am," I said frustrated.

"But is it _who _you are?"

"What the hell does that mean? Who, what; it's the same thing."

"No, it's not. You have to kill people because it's _what_ you are, but do you actually enjoy taking people's lives? Do you really think that you would actually choose that life, if you had the choice?"

"Bella, I didn't have a choice, this is what I am, but I'm not going to piss on my creator for it. I can't become human for you, there's no going back, but you can become what I am so we can stay together."

"Do you love me, Edward?" Her question took me off guard.

"Vampires don't love," I said mechanically.

"And yet, you love me. I know you do, otherwise you would have killed me a long time ago."

"What difference does it make if I love you or not, if you're not willing to change for me regardless?"

"It matters because if you truly love someone, you would understand why I can't choose that life. Every person you kill, has people who love them. How would you feel if someone killed me, or how about your sister?"

"I would never allow that to happen."

"So, because you're stronger physically than humans, that means your love is stronger too?"

"I don't know human emotions, I can only speak for myself," I told her.

"And I can only speak for myself, too. I will not become a killer, I can't."

"You know, I could always make you. I don't need your permission to do it; no one asked me if I wanted to be turned."

She was quiet for a moment, and looked deep into my eyes, searchingly. "But you won't…because you love me."

She was so confident in my affections for her, that it actually scared me. _Did she actually know me better than I knew myself_? I still wasn't confident that I wouldn't kill her, but she never wavered in her belief in me.

"You don't understand, if Aro knew what I've been doing with you, he'd not let you stay here. Bella, he'd kill you."

"Then at least I'll die knowing I've never hurt anyone," she said quietly. _Her willingness to die and lack of fear was really starting to piss me off, it's just unnatural._

Later that night, I did what I always did while she slept, I watched her. But this night was different, I was different. I considered the possibility of her being right, _was I really in love with her, was I even capable of it? Vampires had mates, but did they truly love them?_ I already knew the answer; of course I was in love with her. It made absolutely no sense, and yet, it was the only thing I truly knew.

But loving her meant I had to do what was best for her, and put her needs above my own….

"Come on, get dressed," I said impatiently the next morning.

"You know better than anyone, how all the vampires here hate when you take your little pet human on walks around the compound." She joked, but was serious at the same time.

"And you know, I really don't care," I smiled, and leaned in to kiss her slowly. She responded to my tender kiss by wrapping her arms around my neck, and then pulling herself closer to me until our bodies were all but molded together.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in?" She asked seductively.

"You know I do, but we can't stay in that room forever."

"Why not?" She giggled.

I held her hand as we walked around the compound. She didn't cower into my side anymore when we passed other vampires, they all knew her, and she knew they would never mess with her as long as I was there.

"Where are we going? I've never seen this part of the compound before," she asked.

"That's because we don't usually walk this way, but I have a surprise for you."

"Really?" She smiled excitedly.

I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket. "But I need to cover your eyes first."

"Why?" She suddenly became suspicious.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do," she said offended that I'd ever ask.

I tied the handkerchief over her eyes as a blindfold, "I'm going to carry you, ok?" She nodded. "I'm going to run really fast, so take a deep breath."

Her breath washed over my face, and we were off. I only ran for a minute before we got to my intended location. I stood her up, and removed the blindfold.

She gasped, and I had to hold on to her so she wouldn't fall over.

"Edward," she said, astonished.

"I thought you could use a little sun." I whispered in her ear. We were on a grassy hill, just outside the city limit. The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly above us.

She looked out at the view in front of her, and then closed her eyes to soak in the warmth of the sun. I never saw her look more breathtaking; the sun on her skin was a beauty that was beyond words.

"Thank you for taking me here Edward, but we need to get back before anyone realizes….." she let her words trail off as she looked at me for the first time.

She didn't say anything; she just reached out to my face, and stroked my skin as if she wasn't sure of the texture.

"Yeah, it's kind of trippy, isn't it?" I said referring to the way my skin reflected the sun.

She shook her head. "You're beautiful."

"Bella?" Someone said, so she turned around to see who said her name.

"Dad?" She took a step back, and pressed her back into me.

"Bella!" He yelled, and started running towards us.

"You were right," I said quietly in her ear. "I do love you."

She turned to me, but I was already gone.

Something made me hold on to the flyer with her face on it, and after I accepted my feelings for her, I knew I had to set her free. I called the number on the flyer, and told her father where to meet us. I instructed him that he needed to leave the country right away and never return to Europe, which he agreed to.

With that, there was only one thing left to do in order to give her the best chance at a life…kill Demetri.

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*****_**dun. Dun. DUN! ***_**Please Review. ****The more reviews, the faster I'm inspired to update. THANKS* ;-P**


	8. Ch 7 Craving the Cold

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: _Kind of a slow chapter. I know I said I wouldn't bring NM or Eclipse into the story, but this part was kind of necessary. Things will pick right back up in the next chapter, so please stay tuned._

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~Chapter 7 – _Craving the Cold~_

BPOV

I never saw anything more beautiful in my life, then Edward in the sun. His skin reflected the sun rays like as if he was made of diamonds, and I found myself completely mesmerized by his angelic magnificence.

I never imagined my life could end up like this, especially considering what happened to my mother, but I was strangely happy in my one room world with Edward. I hated what he was, but _what _he was, had nothing to do with _who_ he was. I may be psychotic for overlooking the fact that he was more vicious than a serial killer, but I really didn't see him that way.

He was so careful and considerate with me, that I never was able to make the monstrous vampire and the man in him, coincide. I was completely in love with him, but I never once considered my love to just be a reaction of him being the only _being_ in my life. I loved him for him; in fact, I may have even fallen in love with him before I found out what he was. That breathtaking Chicagoan immigrant who showed me around Volterra that day, was exactly the 'person' who I knew still existed within the hard stone body of the monster. There is so much depth to the enigma that is Edward, that I knew I would spend the rest of my days discovering, and yet, I felt like I knew the real him entirely.

"Bella?" Edward had taken me to an obscure location away from the crowd of tourists who flock to the ancient city, so I was surprised to learn that we weren't alone, and whoever that was there with us, knew my name.

I turned around and was shocked beyond belief to see my father. _Was he just a mirage, or my mind playing tricks on me?_

"Dad?" It only took me a moment to realize that he was really there, and as soon as I did, I instinctually took a step back towards Edward. In that moment, Edward wasn't a supernaturally strong vampire, and Charlie wasn't a feeble human; in that moment, I had an overwhelming desire to protect Edward from Charlie. I didn't understand my feelings, but I didn't have time to think them through either.

"Bella!" Charlie yelled, and started running towards us.

"You were right, I do love you," Edward said quietly in my ear.

I turned quickly, and planned to jump in Edward's arms so we could make a run for it before Charlie could get to us, but he was gone. The life I had come to know was gone. How could he just leave me like that?

"Oh, Bella," Charlie cried, and wrapped me in his arms, but the warmth of his embrace just felt off. I was so used to feeling nothing but coldness, and I had grown to be comfortable that way, like my home was the coldness itself, and now I was feeling homesick.

Charlie pulled back slightly, so he could hold my face in his hands, and looked at me critically."Bella, say something, tell me you're Ok."

But I couldn't tell him that I was Ok, because I wasn't. Edward was gone, and I forgot how to even breathe without him.

"Come on baby, let's go home." He wrapped his arm around my back, and guided me to where he parked his rented car.

I walked forward, but I couldn't feel my legs; I crouched in the car, but I didn't remember actually sitting. The city of Volterra was getting smaller in the rear view mirror, and a huge hole ripped through my chest as a response. I was leaving the city with my heart still beating, which I had thought was entirely impossible, but the truth was that the hole it created was far worse than dying would have been.

The shock I was in completely overtook me, I fell back against the seat, and everything went black.

…

I woke up some time later to a blinding light, and the strong smell of bleach. I looked around, and after my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I could see that I was in a hospital. There was a needle in my arm, and an IV dripping fluid into the tube attached to me.

"Bella?" I looked over and saw my dad sitting on the chair in the far side of the room.

"Where are we?" I asked with a groggy voice.

"In the hospital, you fainted. The doctor said you were a little dehydrated, but you were pretty healthy besides that."

"I meant, where are we, what city?"

"We're in Florence. As soon as you are released from the hospital, we'll leave the country."

A doctor came into the room, and she looked at my chart. "Isabella, my name is Dr. Boscilla, and I've been looking over you," she said in a heavy accent. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

I shook my head no. Even if I wanted to tell the truth, they'd never believe me and I'd be locked in a mental hospital for the rest of my life.

"Can you tell me where you've been?" She asked, and again I shook my head no.

"Ok, I'm going to send your father out of the room so I can do an exam on you. We wanted to wait until you were awake so we could get your permission to do a rape kit on you."

"What? No!" I said and immediately got up and ripped the needle out of my arm.

"Bella, calm down." Charlie said.

"No, I don't want anyone touching me!" I yelled.

"Bella, they need to do the kit, so they can cross the DNA with all the predators in the database." Charlie tried reasoning with me. The fact that he used the word 'predator' was actually quite amusing, _if he only knew how right he was_.

"I wasn't raped dad, I swear. I'm fine, can we just leave now?"

Charlie huffed, but then he agreed. He didn't want to put me through anything else.

The plane ride back home was long, and I spent that time in silence. I barely said anything to Charlie, and when he'd ask me questions, I'd just give him one word answers. When we actually got home, I looked at it like I had never been there before, and in a way, I hadn't. I was a different person when I left the house almost three months earlier, and I knew I'd never be the same again.

I got in the shower and just stood there with the water running on cold, hugging my every curve. My body craved the cold, I ached for it. I got into my bed, and the blankets were too heavy, so I found myself sleeping in my chair by the opened window. I let the rain fall into the room, and land on my face like gently chilly kisses. I needed the cool breeze to caress my cheeks and neck, like his icy breath; I couldn't sleep without it.

The next day, I woke early but just laid in my chair until my stomach protested, and forced me to find something to eat.

"Hey," my dad sprung off of the couch. "I bet you're starving. What do you feel like, I'll get you anything?"

"Italian food," I said without even thinking.

My dad was quiet for a moment, and then he took a deep breath. "Ok, I can have Sally at the diner cook you up some spaghetti."

"Ok," I said, so he got his coat and left. I wandered around the house, and tried to get my bearings. I had to relearn my surroundings, and try to figure out exactly how I fit in the house again, _and_ _in the world again_.

I opened the pantry, and was surprised to find it basically empty. I always did the shopping before, but I still wasn't expecting it to be so desolate. The fridge wasn't much different; the milk and other perishables, were all rotten, and months old. I sighed and grabbed the garbage can so I could start throwing stuff away. And then, there was a knock on the door.

The knock startled me, and I seriously thought about hiding in my room until whoever it was, left.

"Bella, it's me, Jake." I practically ran to the door and opened it as quick as possible.

"Hey," he said, seeming relieved. I launched myself at him, and he hugged me tightly. "God, I missed you. Bella, we thought…"

"I'm fine," I assured him.

"What happened, where have you been?"

I bit my bottom lip, then looked up at him and shook my head. I wasn't going to tell him anything, and he knew it. We sat down and just talked for a while. He knew I didn't want to talk about Italy, so he just told me everything that had been going on in LaPush. He told me about his sister's engagement and how her choice in future husband was a real pain in his ass. But every time he moved to a different subject, he seemed to hesitate, as if he really wanted to talk about something else, but just didn't know how to approach the subject.

"Jake, what aren't you telling me?" I asked frustrated with his dancing around his real topic.

My dad walked in with my food; he greeted Jake, then left us alone to talk. I ate my spaghetti and waited for Jake to start explaining.

"Bella, you can trust me; you know you could tell me anything, even if it seems _unbelievable_."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said honestly, he was actually confusing me with the 'unbelievable' talk.

"Bella, when Charlie was away, I broke into the house and went into your room."

"Why?"

"I was just trying to look for anything helpful. Something that could give us a clue as to where you were."

"Ok, so?"

"So, I found the letter your mother wrote you."

We stared at each other for a long moment.

"I know why you went to Italy, but my question is, did you find what you were looking for?"

I had no idea what to say to him, so again, I shook my head.

"Bella, are there vampires in Italy, and if so, how many?" I didn't respond, so he continued. "There have been vampire here, so I need to know what happened to you in Italy, so I know if I need to protect you or not."

"Vampires, here? When?"

"Over the years, nomads always seem to pass through here because of the weather. They can move around during the day undetected, because the clouds are always covering the sun here."

"Jacob, how do you know this stuff?" I asked suspiciously.

"I've told you the legends of our tribe before…about the cold ones. Bella, what the hell do you think cold ones are?"

He looked at me intently, and I had a sudden urge to puke. I ran outside and threw up all over the ground.

"Are you Ok?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah, I must have just eaten too fast."

"Maybe marinara sauce is too hard on your stomach right now, what have you been eating for the past month?"

"I was in Italy Jake, what do you think I was eating."

"Your captors…or whatever, they fed you Ok?"

"I had Italian food every day." I smiled.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked slowly.

I looked away from him, and I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Bella, shh, it's ok, you're safe now." Jake misinterpreted my tears as a sign of fear, but really I was just aching for Edward. I would give up my freedom and my family in an instant, if I had a way to get back to him.

"Jake, why do you want to know about Italy so badly?" I asked finally.

"I just need to know as much as possible about the vampire world, so my tribe can be prepared for anything. Bella, if you were held captive by vampires, and you somehow managed to get away from them, then we have to assume that they will come after you. I need to know if we need to protect you, or not."

"Protect me? Jacob, how are you going to protect me? Don't your legends talk about how strong they are? All you would do, is get yourself killed."

"Bella, I swear to you, I'm fully capable to protect you."

"Listen, all the stories are wrong, and I'm sure that your legend isn't accurate either. They don't have an adverse reaction to garlic, or holy water, it's impossible to penetrate them with a wooden steak, and they don't burn in the sun."

"No, they sparkle," he said taking me by surprise. "I've seen them before Bella, and I've killed them too."

"You can't kill vampires!" I practically yelled out of frustration.

"No, humans can't, but I can."

"What are you telling me Jake?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you, but I can show you. Come take a walk with me."

Jacob led me into the woods behind my house and started taking off his clothes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You'll see. Just don't be afraid, Ok. I'm going to do something that may freak you out, but remember that you're not in any danger." He pulled off his pants and shirt so he was wearing nothing but his boxers, then he gestured for me to back up. One minute my best friend Jake was standing with me, and the next, he erupted into the largest wolf I had ever seen.

He looked at me for a moment, and I absentmindedly reached my hand out to touch the animal, just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. But he was real. He grabbed his pants with his teeth, then ran off into the cover of the trees, then reemerged as Jacob again.

I took a deep breath, as everything became clear. "So, you're a werewolf?" At that point, after living with a vampire for over a month, nothing really surprised me anymore.

"Last time I checked," he said nonchalantly.

"Have you always been a werewolf?"

"No. But there was a small coven of vampires that came to town to feed, and their presence caused the gene in us to start the phasing process. Now I'm in it for life."

"Us?"

"There are ten of us who can do it, and it's our job to protect the people from vampires."

"And you've actually killed vampires before?"

"Yes."

"And, do you think that it's possible for others like you to be in Italy?"

"I don't know, I suppose; it doesn't seem likely that we're the only ones on the world who can do it. Why?"

"I have to go," I said and ran back to my house, and right upstairs. I grabbed my suitcase and started throwing stuff in quickly.

"Where are you going?" I didn't even realize that Jake had followed me, but I didn't care either.

"I have to go back," I said without looking at him.

"Back where?" He asked confused and concerned.

"Italy." I closed the suitcase then grabbed my passport off my nightstand.

"Bella, stop." He grabbed my arm.

"No, let me go Jake, I have to go."

"I'm not letting you go until you explain what the hell is going on."

"I can't."

He took a deep breath, then suddenly turned his head to the side. He walked over to my laundry hamper, and grabbed a shirt out. "Is this what you were wearing when your dad found you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Damn it Bella. It has vampire stench all over it. What the hell are you doing?"

"You can smell vampires too?" My fear doubled.

"Why do you look so afraid Bella, tell me the truth. I know vampires had you in Italy, this shirt proves it, but what I don't know is, how the hell did you get away from them?"

"He, let me go."

"A vampire wouldn't let a human go, there has to be something else. Maybe he planned on following you home so he could bring his coven here and feed on the town, or something."

"He wouldn't do that," I said, getting angry.

"Oh my god, you actually have feelings for the thing," he said incredulously.

"I love him," I said quietly.

Jacob closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You love a vampire? Are you crazy Bella?"

"He loves me too."

"Would you listen to yourself? Vampires don't love, they're not even alive, and they don't keep humans alive for no reason. He was using you for some reason, and it's only a matter of time before he shows up to follow through with his intentions. He let you go, but I'm sure he knows how to find you again, and he will."

"He loves me, and that is why he let me go. And I'm not going to stay here when there are werewolves out there that could possibly be a threat to him." I had grown to believe that Edward couldn't be hurt. He said he was immortal, so I assumed that meant that nothing could kill him. But with Jacob claiming he can kill them, and it's possible that there could be other werewolves in Europe, I just had to get back to warn him. Perhaps he already knew, but either way, I had been gone from him for a little over four days, and I knew I couldn't go on any longer without him. If the Volturi leaders kill me for going back, then it would still be worth it if I had a chance to see him one more time.

"You know, they have a name for this, it's called Stockholm syndrome. He had you locked up for a month, and you actually think you love him because he was the only _thing_ around. Bella, just give it some time, you'll see in a few weeks, and you'll know that these feelings you're having aren't real."

"I don't have a couple of weeks Jake, I'm leaving now."

"And what about your dad, huh? He spent so long searching for you, only to find you and you're leaving him again. Don't do this, don't go back to Volterra. Even your mother's letter begs you not to go there."

"Fine," I said, and put my clothes back in the drawer. "I'll give it one week, and if my feelings haven't changed, then I'm leaving."

"Good."

"So, if you'll excuse me, I need to go throw up again," I said then ran to the bathroom.

I threw up all the contents of my stomach, then dry heaved several times before I was finally finished.

"Jacob, you know I love you, but can you just leave. I need to go back to sleep."

"You look awful."

"I feel awful."

"Ok, I'll let you rest, but I'm going to stay close outside, just in case."

I rolled my eyes at him, and he smirked, then left. I had no intentions on waiting a week, but with my guard dog outside, I didn't have the option of leaving that night anyway. I opened the window, and curled up in my chair, and let the cool breeze and icy rain lull me to sleep.

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***Ok, I know Bella accepted Jake being a wolf too easily, but hey, we all read a whole book on the subject, and I think that was more than enough. Bella lived in the supernatural world for a month, so she's pretty much come to the thought that anything is possible. This is an Edward and Bella story, so I didn't want to waste too much time with Jake. There will be no love triangle, B and J have no feelings for each other besides friendship and a brother/sister love.**

**Most know what Bella being sick means, and if you hate it, then remember that I did warn you about it in the description on the first chapter. Back to Edward in the next chapter, and we may just have an Edward/Alice reunion. This one was kind of boring, so I'll update quickly. Exciting things to come! Thanks for reading, ****Please Review*******


	9. Ch 8 Someone's Mother or Sister

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 8 – _Someone's Mother or Sister~_

EPOV

I didn't have time to consider my loss; I needed to be in action. Bella's life depended on me killing Demetri, so the Volturi couldn't track her. I got back to the city, and immediately headed to the compound.

"Chelsea, have you seen Demetri?" I asked her.

"Aro sent him and Felix on a mission. He should be back in a few weeks."

"A mission?" Sudden fear engulfed. _Had he already found out about Bella, somehow?_

"Yes, apparently there have been some newborn armies in Africa forming."

"Oh, Ok. Thanks," I said relieved, and walked away.

I didn't know what to do, so I just walked down the street aimlessly. I never felt so lost, or helplessly alone in all my life. I had no purpose, no direction, and absolutely nothing to live for. I briefly considered the idea of telling Aro what I did myself, just end my intolerable existence, but I knew that move would just endanger Bella. Demetri had to die first, so I'd just have to wait until he got back in order to kill him; I just needed to somehow manage to not touch Aro until then.

"Another trip to the pet store to buy some more chow; or is it a trip to the adult store for some sex toys? Is there a name for people who have sex with their pets? How about their food?" Heidi said callously as she walked past me. I didn't care enough to give her a proper response; in fact, I didn't care about anything at that moment.

I just kept walking.

It was a cloudy day in the city, so I didn't worry about having to stay undercover, so I continued without really thinking about anything. As I walked, I tried to ignore everything, and tune out everyone. I spent the past eighty years learning how to quiet my mind, but it was actually difficult to do.

"Please, let me go," A woman cried hopelessly.

I pushed the pleas out of my mind, I wasn't some hero or vigilante and I didn't care if a human was suffering.

"Please, why are you doing this?" The woman's cries were louder than all the other noises that I was unsuccessfully trying to tune out of my mind.

I looked around to try to see the woman, but I couldn't figure out where she was. I walked to several alleys and could find anything.

"I know what you are. You're a vampire."

I turned around, and felt completely lost. _Where the hell was the woman? _Obviously the woman was about to became a vampire's meal, but where? I had no idea why I cared, but something wouldn't let me ignore it.

"How long are you going to keep me here?"

_Now, I was really confused_. The woman's voice became weak and distant, but how could her wellness change so drastically in such a short time, and yet, she wasn't dead? Whatever vampire had this woman was obviously just playing with her. Disgusting. I would never look down on a vampire for killing a human, it's what we are, but toying with them was just beyond acceptable, I was sure Aro would have felt the same way.

"I have a family; does that mean anything to you at all? Do you even know what love means?" The woman was no longer afraid, she was just suffering in pain.

Her courage reminded me of Bella, and then Bella's words came back to me like a tsunami. '_If you truly love someone, you would understand why I can't choose that life. Every person you kill, has people who love them. How would you feel if someone killed me, or how about your sister?'_

The woman being tortured had people who loved her. She was a daughter, or friend, maybe someone's wife, mother, or sister. If I truly loved my Bella, then I couldn't stand by and let this go on.

"Edward, my old buddy."

I turned to see James at the end of the block.

"You're still here in the city? I thought you would have moved on by now," I asked him.

"Yes well, I actually just came back."

"Another mission for Aro?" I suddenly became wary. _With Demetri away, would Aro call James in to track Bella?_

"No, I came back for you."

"Me?" I asked confused.

"Please, just kill me and get it over with" the woman begged.

"What the hell? It's you." I stated. The woman I had been hearing, was actually just one of James's memories. I was really losing it, I never had a hard time decipher between thoughts and reality before.

"Yes, well I thought you would like that. We are kindred spirits, you and I; both equally cold hearted with a passion for 'pets'."

I automatically took a step back. I was nothing like that disgusting freak…_was I?_

"I heard through the grapevine that you were keeping a pet of your own, so I thought it would be fun to get together. I've been looking to start a coven, but I haven't found any who shared in my…_view _on the world."

"And what view is that, torturing helpless humans?" I asked, trying to conceal my repulsion.

"Exactly."

"How many pets have you had?" I asked.

"Just one. Her blood was so sweet, that I just couldn't kill her."

"So, you resist her blood?" I asked confused.

"No, of course not." I stared at him confused, and he chuckled evilly. "Oh come on Eddie, don't tell me you don't know how to drink from a human without killing them?"

I just became even more confused. "You drain the blood in a cup, or something?"

He laughed again, but wouldn't think about it so I could see it in his mind. "That would cool the blood too much. Come, I'll show you."

I didn't want to go anywhere with him, but I went out of pure curiosity.

He led me to a remote house in the country, and even from outside, I could smell the blood. We walked in and it was like a hospital room, or a scene from a horror film, depending on how you looked at it. There were heart monitors and IVs everywhere, and an emaciated woman lying on a dirty bed. The memories he showed me must have been weeks, if not months old. The woman wasn't coherent enough to talk to him.

It was absolutely nauseating.

"Watch and learn my friend," James said, then walked over to the woman. He picked up her arm and bit down on it. He sucked for several long seconds, then released her and looked up at me with a smug smile. "And that's how it is done. Simple as that."

"How the hell hasn't she turned?" I asked. Biting a human always resulted in one of two possible outcomes; the human will die from loss of blood, or will be turned due to the venom circulating in their system.

"Edward, it is possible to bite a human without leaving your venom inside. Bite, then suck out the venom. The hardest thing is stopping before you kill her, but it gets easier the more you do it."

I had mixed emotions as I let it all sink in. The monster in me was bitter that I didn't learn this sooner. I could have tasted my singer's blood, and not have to deal with the consequence of never tasting her again. But that monster was pathetically weak compared to the strangely twisted thing I had slowly started becoming, the thing that only existed for Bella.

"How long have you had her for?" I asked.

"Oh, when you have forever, who keeps track of time."

"But you don't have forever. This woman is only human, she will die eventually, and then you will be left without her unique blood which you're addicted to."

James was quiet for a moment, as if he never thought about it before. "Is that why you haven't killed your pet yet?"

"Exactly," I only partially lied; I kept her alive in the beginning for that reason.

"Shit!" He yelled out of frustration, because he didn't realize that his human blood bank would someday be dead. Stupid idiot.

"What are the IVs for?"

James recovered from his little tantrum, to answer my question. "She stopped eating awhile ago, I think it was a hunger strike or something, so I tube feed her. But even when she was eating, she'd get sick from losing so much blood all the time. I kidnapped a doctor from the hospital and forced him to help me with this, then I killed him of course, but he taught me everything I needed to know beforehand."

"Bella, don't come here," the woman said suddenly. If my heart was beating, it would have stopped. I turned back to the woman, and walked over to her slowly.

I looked at the face of the tortured woman, and felt completely sick. She was whiter than a vampire, and her face was sunken in. She smelled of urine and feces, and was covered in dirt and old sweat. Her bones stuck out and were jagged and sharp looking; she was more skeleton than living human.

"Bella, I love you." That's when I noticed her lips, she had exactly the same lips as Bella.

"Just ignore the ramblings that it says. It does it that all the time," James said.

"Where did you get her?"

He smirked. "She was one of those conspiracy theory humans. She came here searching for answers, but unlike most that come, she actually found real stuff. Aro had me come in to take care of her, but when I smelled her, I just couldn't resist."

Bella had come to Italy in search of some answers about her mother's disappearance, but she figured she was already dead. Death would have been better than the fate she was suffering. Anger boiled up inside of me. I hated James more than I ever hated anyone, and he made me hate myself even more than I already had. I could have easily been what James is; I could have been a sadistic demon too, if I only knew it was possible before I fell in love with her. Bella could have endured from me, what her mother was being afflicted with.

I was still a murderous monster, but I didn't torture the weak and I had Bella to thank for that.

I stepped closer to the woman who brought Bella into my world, and I leaned down over her.

"Oh no you don't, this isn't a smorgasbord. She's mine. Go back and get your pet, and we can enjoy them in peace. We can search out others, and form a strong coven. My mate is out hunting, but when you both return we can move on and find a place out of the Volturi's reach."

"There is no 'out of reach' for the Volturi." I turned slowly and let my monster come out. This monster was different than my previous one, it was stronger. This monster didn't crave blood, this monster craved justice.

James could see my aggression build, and he immediately took a defensive position. "You are passing on an amazing opportunity, we could be a powerful coven."

"I'm a member of the Volturi guard, there is no more powerful coven I could possibly be in." I sneered.

"Fine…you're dead."

We both lunged at each other, and fought for our lives. I would not allow this demon to continue to torture the woman, and I realized then that it didn't even matter that she was Bella's mother, that kind of torture shouldn't be endured by anyone.

We broke the house into shambles and ended up outside. I had James paralyzed against a large boulder, and I bit a huge chunk out of his neck. He was weakened, and with one last rip, he'd be dead. I was just about to make the fatal blow, when a second vampire came onto the scene. I didn't recognize her scent or cadence of thought, but I did remember her fiery hair from James's thoughts. His mate had joined the fight.

She pulled me off of him, and I would have easily been able to take her, but James recovered himself and they teamed up. I held my own against them, but suddenly they got a lucky shot, and I was overpowered. They had me pinned in a headlock, and I could feel my neck crack as my head was about to become detached. The pain was excruciating and I knew I was about to die, so I tried to picture Bella's face. I wanted her image to be the last thing on my mind, but all I saw was darkness as my vision started failing me.

Suddenly, I was released, and they dropped me to the ground. I laid there for a moment, while the breaks in my neck fused back together.

"Edward, are you Ok?"

I looked up to see the most beautiful vampire ever, "Alice."

Her mate was with her, and he was starting a fire to throw James and his redheaded mate into.

"You'll be fine. Sorry about this, I wish we could have come a little sooner." Her pixie face relaxed and she beamed as she smiled at me. "It's Ok, you don't have to thank me."

I sat up, and looked at my sister intently. "Thank you, Alice." I stood as her mate threw in the last piece of James into the fire, and he looked back at me. "Thank you, Jasper," I said sincerely.

"Hey, I just came along for the ride. Your sister was the one with all the visions," Jasper responded.

I turned back to her. "How much have you seen?"

"Well I'd say everything, except I haven't."

"Huh?"

"I saw you with Bella, and I saw her in your chambers. I would have come sooner, but you didn't decide whether or not you were going to kill her, so I couldn't see clearly."

"Can you see her now?" I asked desperately, but she looked at me confused.

"I thought you killed her?"

"What? No!" I started to panic. "Why, why would you say that? I let her go, are you telling me that she's dead?"

"You let her go? Huh?" Alice was perplexed.

"Alice?"

"Look, I don't know. She was with you, but then she disappeared. I just assumed…."

"How could she just disappear? Has that ever happened before?"

"No, and it really freaked me out because you disappeared also, but then suddenly I had this vision of you being beheaded here. We just had enough time to get on the plane and run here, and look, we were almost too late."

"Bella? Bella!" The woman started yelling, clearly hallucinating, so we went back in the house.

"Oh, she's Bella's mother. Wonderful, she's going to be absolutely fine. Wow Edward, you've encountered both her parents, and they are both still alive, I'm really impressed."

I looked at the woman, then back at Alice. "Go find her, we'll make sure the woman gets help," Alice said smiling; knowing I needed to make sure Bella was Ok.

"Thank you Alice, you have no idea what you've done."

"Of course I do." She tapped the side of her head, and winked.

I walked over to the woman, and bent down next to her. "Will she remember any of this?" I asked Alice without turning back to her.

"Nope, talk away."

"What's her name?"

"Renee."

"Renee, I'm so sorry for all this, and for what I did to Bella. But I promise, I will make sure she's safe. You're going to be fine, and you'll see Bella again," I said softly to the barely conscious woman.

Alice gave me a hug, and I thanked both her and Jasper again, before I ran back out the door.

* * *

***I'm not great at writing graphic fight scenes, so I hope that was good enough. Please share your thoughts, and ****Review*******


	10. Ch 9 Finally Home

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 9 – _Finally Home~_

BPOV

I awoke to my dad knocking on my room door. "Bells, I need to talk to you, can I come in please?"

"Yeah, sure."

He opened the door and looked at me strangely. "Jake said you weren't feeling well, are you Ok?"

"I think I'm better. It must have been all the stress, and traveling."

"Yeah, I figured. Bella, honey….they found your mother," he said unexpectedly.

"What…how?" I wouldn't think a vampire would dispose a body in a place where it could be found, especially after two years.

"They don't know much, she was found severely dehydrated and emaciated, outside a hospital in Arezzo."

"Wait, she's alive?" I said shocked.

"Yeah, but she's in pretty bad shape. She was actually there since Thursday, but she didn't have any ID on her, so they had to run her prints. They are transferring her back to Phoenix; she should arrive there sometime tomorrow. Phil flew out there to escort her back."

"Dad, I know I just got back, but…"

"I already bought your plane ticket, you leave this afternoon." He smiled.

"Thanks dad."

After Charlie left, I got up to take a shower, and then I went down to get some breakfast. While I ate, Charlie and I discussed my trip and my future plans, and then…I threw up. My dad was worried about me, but I didn't have time to go to the doctor because my plane was leaving in a few hours, so I promised Charlie that I'd see a doctor if my vomiting continued in Phoenix. I went back upstairs to start packing, when the local werewolf came in and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hey, what was that for?" I asked lightly with a grin.

"You're not planning on coming back, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Phoenix is just one step closer to Italy."

I sighed. "I have to go see my mom Jake. I thought she was dead for two years."

"I know, but just promise me you'll come back here after," Jake said hopelessly.

"Look, I already told my dad that I'm going to stay with her for a while, and then I'll be going off to college for the spring semester."

"It's me Bella; you don't have to give me the same bull you concocted for your dad's benefit."

"If you already know the truth, then why are you asking?"

"Bella, don't go back to Italy," he pleaded.

"Ugh! We have already been over this, Jacob. I have to go; I have to be with him."

"What, as his human love pet? You can't even have a real relationship with him unless….oh Bella, please tell me you're not planning on letting that monster turn you?"

"No. He knows I won't become a murderer."

"You won't become one, but you are in love with one," he said bitterly.

"We can't help who we love, Jake… and I _can_ have a real relationship with him."

Jake laughed humorlessly. "What, he'll take you to a movie, and watch you while you eat dinner; then he'll drive around in his hearse and you'll put a muzzle on him so you can kiss him goodnight?"

"Well, some of us have a little more mature relationships then that. And he doesn't need a muzzle to kiss me; he's actually quite good at it."

Jake got a disgusted expression on his face. "You've actually kissed the thing?"

"Yeah, and…" I let the end trail off, there was no way I was going to tell him what else I've done with Edward.

"And what?" He pressed.

"Nothing, never mind."

"Oh god, Bella no. You can't even think about fucking around with the thing, he'd absolutely kill you. Even if he somehow manages to not bite you, his strength alone would turn you into an accordion. Bella, think about what you're saying."

"I have thought about it, and he was always very gentle with me."

"Sex is different. You don't know, because you're still a virgin."

"Oh right, and you know?"

"Yes I do. I had a girlfriend all summer."

"Well good for you, stud muffin," I teased him.

"Whatever. Bella, he's a vampire, remember that. Vamps and humans aren't compatible sexually."

"Yes, we are." He stared at me blankly, understanding exactly what I meant. _Shit_.

He shook his head slightly. "Bella, you didn't"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes; and look, I'm still alive and no broken bones from it."

He started gagging, and actually ran to the bathroom and threw up. I rolled my eyes at him, then grabbed my suitcase and went downstairs.

"You ready, kiddo?" Charlie asked me.

"Yeah."

Jake came trotting down the stairs. "Hey Bella, I was thinking that maybe I should come with you, you know, just for support."

"Wow, Jake, that's very generous of you," Charlie said.

"No thanks, that's not necessary. I'll be fine."

"Bella?" Jake begged me with his eyes.

I shook my head at him, then wrapped my arms around his massive waist. "Goodbye Jacob, take care of yourself."

A tear fell down his face, but he wiped it away before Charlie could see it, then he turned and left the house. I knew that would be the last time I saw my best friend, but I wouldn't allow myself to display any sorrow over it. The last thing my dad needed was to see me crying. It was the last time I'd see Charlie too, and I had to stay strong and hold back the tears so he wouldn't get suspicious.

…

I started to get nervous after I got on the plane, but the closer I got to Phoenix, the more at peace I became. I was overjoyed that my mother was alive, but at the same time, she was just one more person who I'd have to say goodbye to. But I was Ok with that; I'd go through a million goodbyes just to spend another minute with Edward.

When I landed, I got in a taxi and had it take me to my mother's house so I could drop off my suitcase. I looked around the house, and all my childhood memories came pouring in. Over the past two years, we had rented out the property because we never expected my mother to come back, but since she was going to be Ok, Phil had the people living there find a new place to live. He took everything out of storage, and had it all replaced exactly the way that it was. Phil was really a great guy, and after two years of thinking she was dead, he was still madly in love with my mom.

"Hey, you made it," Phil greeted me when I finally got to the hospital.

"Yeah, finally," I said and we gave each other a big hug. "How is she?"

He took a deep breath, and looked like he was going to cry. "She's…it's just…beyond words."

"But she's going to be OK, right?"

"The doctors say she's going to make a full recovery. She's already doing better than she was, she's actually awake and talking a bit, but she won't say what happened to her. Bella, we didn't tell her that you were missing too, I just think it may be too much for her right now."

"No, I wouldn't want her knowing, especially not right now." I smiled halfheartedly, then went into her room.

I was horrified into stunned silence.

She didn't look like my mother, she looked more like a hundred year old woman with loose pasty skin and hallowed cheeks. Her hair was thin and looked to be balding in certain areas.

"Oh, I'm not as bad as I look," she said groggily.

"Mom," I cried. I wanted to jump in her arms and hold on to her like I used to as a child, but she was so frail that a simple hug would probably break her.

"Bella, my sweet angel." I held her hand and kissed it, then pressed it against my cheek.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, honey."

I sat with her for hours and told her everything she missed from my life, all except the part where I was in Italy of course. She wouldn't talk about what happened to her, which I completely understood, but I just couldn't begin to understand how she was still alive.

Eventually, she fell asleep, so I went to go find something to eat. I just got some pretzels from the vending machine, because my stomach was still weak from being sick and I knew I'd never be able to handle cafeteria food. I ate three pretzels and my stomach twisted and protested the entrance of the food, so I had to find the bathroom to throw up.

"Oh Miss Swan, your cousin was just here," my mother's nurse said as I walked back to her room.

"My cousin?" I asked confused because I didn't have any cousins.

"Yeah, tall, muscular, completely drop dead gorgeous. He said he didn't want to disrupt your time with your mother, so he didn't want us to tell you he stopped by."

Stupid fucking Jacob. I should have known he'd be on the next plane out here to babysit me. I loved him for caring of course, but he needed to just back off and let me live my life.

"Oh, here, please give him my number." She handed me a piece of paper with her name and number on it.

"Of course, I'm sure he'd love to call you," I said to her. "But here, let me give you his number too, just in case he forgets." I said with a sadistic smile. I knew the nurse wasn't his type, in fact, she seemed like the very clingy annoying type, the type that will call Jake over and over again. He deserved it.

I sat with my mom for a few more hours, then left for the night. I took a cab back home and was pleasantly surprised to see the house dark. I really expected that Jacob would be waiting for me there, but was so glad he wasn't.

I went inside, and turned on the light.

"You know, Phoenix High doesn't protect their former students too well. It was just too easy to get them to give me your address, even if it was two years old."

I stared at him while he smiled crookedly in the most breathtaking way, then I exploded. I jumped into his arms and latched myself onto him, refusing to ever let go.

"You're here, you're really here." I started sobbing into his shoulder as he held me, and he brought one of his cold hands to my face, to wipe the tears away.

"Usually when someone sees their captor again, they try to run away not jump in their arms," Edward said quietly in my ear.

I pulled back and looked at his glorious face, then pressed my lips to his. He kissed me back briefly, but then pulled away. "Are you Ok?" He asked.

"I am now that you're here. I was planning on going back to Italy as soon as I knew my mom would be Ok."

"Bella, you can't go back to Italy, you can't ever go back there." He said, slowly and forceful.

"I need to be with you, and I don't care if I have to stay in that room for the rest of my life, as long as I'm with you, that's all I care about."

He lifted his hand back to my face, and caressed me gently. "Bella, we can't be together. I only came to find you, because Alice said that you disappeared and it scared the shit out of me."

"You saw Alice?" I was so happy that he got in contact with his sister, because I knew she meant a lot to him.

"Yeah, she helped me handle something. Look, I have to go back to Italy, there's something I need to take care of, but I needed to make sure you were Ok first."

I shook my head. "How could I be Ok? You just left me and didn't give me a choice in the matter."

"When have I ever given you a choice on anything?"

"Edward, I can't live without you."

"No Bella, you can't live _with_ me. My life ended in nineteen eighteen when I died from the Spanish flu. You're not dead Bella, you have a life that I just can't be a part of." He put me down so I was standing in front of him.

"You know, I'm really getting sick of everyone thinking they know what's best for me."

He looked into my eyes deeply, and I longed to feel his coldness molded to me. "Take them out," I commanded him.

"What?" He asked confused.

"The contacts. I want to see your eyes, not mud brown contacts."

"Oh, blood red is better than mud?" He said sarcastically.

"It is if they're yours."

He looked at me for another long moment, before sighing, and removing his contacts. I didn't care what color his eyes were, as long as they were his. I didn't even really see color anymore, I saw past it and deep into his soul. We stared at each other, and the heat between us kept building, despite his frigid temperature.

"Come with me, I want to show you something." I whispered to him. I grabbed his hand and tried pulling him, but he didn't budge. I gave him a scolding look, so he smiled and then let me lead him where I wanted.

"Is this your room?" He asked lightly, sounding more like a human then I ever heard him before.

"Yeah, well, not everything is exactly the way it was because we rented this house out for a couple years, but it's basically the same."

He started wandering around the room and looking at all the pictures and trinkets of my childhood. He seemed completely fascinated in everything. It was so surreal having him in my home, like a fairytale jumping out of the pages; he was make-believe and yet, completely real. My own fantasy, come to life.

"Thank you, Edward," I said softly as I watched him.

He turned back to me. "For what?"

"For bringing my mom home. I don't know how, but I know you saved her."

"I just couldn't let her suffer," he said softly.

"Who had her?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to really know, but I asked anyway.

"It doesn't matter; just know he'll never torture someone else again."

I nodded, and then walked forward to him and reached my arms around his neck. I kissed him gently, then pulled him down on top of me as I laid back on the bed. He kissed me harder and automatically started taking my pants off. I pulled his shirt over his head, and scratched up his bare back as his lips moved to my neck. His cold touches sent electric waves pulsating over every inch of my body, and made me feel like I was back where I belonged. When I left Italy, I wasn't returning home, I was leaving it because I was leaving him, but being back in his arms felt exactly like I was finally home.

He pulled back slightly, but before I could protest, he let his hand slide under my panties and between my delicate folds. The fire there burned hotter despite the cold, and reflexively, I started rocking my hips against his hand as a response. His mouth found its way back to my lips, but only for a moment, then he broke away again and removed my shirt and bra. He kissed my breasts, then he pulled me over so I was on top and straddling his waist. I leaned forward so I was lying on him chest to chest, and kissed him desperately. After a minute I sat back up, and he lifted me so I was positioned over him, and then he guided me down until he was fully inside of me.

The few days that we were apart, did nothing to change the perfection of the way he fit inside of me. My body was made to be attached to him; to be able to engulf all of him, but still tight in the most amazing way. I started moving on him, which he met with upward thrusts. His hands were grabbing my thighs, almost too tight to be comfortable, but left me whishing he'd squeeze harder.

I rocked quicker and harder on him, when suddenly, faster then I was able to blink, he was on top of me and continued thrusting until we were both exploding together in a symphony of pain and ecstasy. He collapsed to the side of me, and I rolled over so I was lying across his icy chest, letting his skin cool me the way only he could. It was amazingly strange how he could heat me hotter than fire, but also cool me down at the same time.

"I thought vampires didn't get tired." I whispered to him as he panted for air.

"We don't, I'm only breathing like this because it feels good, and I can taste your intoxicating aroma deep inside my lungs."

"Really?" I asked smugly.

"Oh, yeah." He chuckled, then grabbed the back of my head and gently pulled it down onto his chest. "Sleep."

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?"

He kissed the top of my head, and stroked my face. "I promise. I have to go back to Italy to take care of some things, but I'm not ready to leave you just yet. I'll be here tomorrow, you can trust me."

Of course I trusted him, I trusted him more than anyone else in the world. I kept my head resting on his cold hard chest, and breathed in the sweet unique scent of his skin. "I love you, Edward."

"After everything I put you through, could you possibly believe that I love you too?"

"Yes."

"Well, I do. Bella you are absolutely everything to me."

"I know." I said confidently, and I could feel him smile into my hair.

His cool breath washed over me, and he started humming something I never heard before, but it quickly lulled me into an unconscious bliss.

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*******Quick question****: Am I updating too fast, is it too hard to keep up? Should I cut it back to once a week, or maybe even once a month like others do? I know people are busy, and I write way too quickly sometimes, so I understand if you think I should slow down.(I may make fewer mistakes if I take more time. Lol) Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.**

**Edward may just meet his 'creator' in the next chapter, so stay tuned and ****Please Review*******


	11. Ch 10 Unexpected

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: _Wow! I received the most amount of reviews/comments for the last chapter, than any other chapter on this story so far, I didn't even think that many people were reading and interested. Thanks for that. I guess I should have threatened to slow my updates sooner, lol. Mostly everyone likes the quick updates, so I'll keep them coming as fast as possible. Thank you to my normal reviewers, there's like seven of you, I really appreciate it. To everyone who reviewed for the first time on the last chapter, thanks; it would be great if you can review for this chapter too, even if it's just a word or two (maybe we can make it to 100 ;-P )._

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~Chapter 10 –_Unexpected_~

**BPOV**

I woke up to the bright sun glaring in my eyes, and my bed feeling far too soft and warm. I sat up quickly, and looked around the room, but I was alone. I was still pleasantly sore from having sex, like I always was the morning after, so I knew I didn't just dream him being there. Anger and desperation started building up inside of me, as I considered the idea that he must have decided to leave, regardless of his promise to me.

I started bawling uncontrollably. I needed him, and I was so heartbroken that he didn't understand that, or maybe he just didn't care. I was only human and humans were meaningless to him, but he told me many times that I was different; _well, I guess he decided I wasn't so different after all._

_Stupid fucking murderous vampire. _

"Hey, what's wrong?" Edward appeared next to me, at the speed of my racing heart. One beat I was alone, the next he was there.

"You didn't leave me?" I cried even harder and wrapped my arms around him tightly. _Ok, I was really turning into a basket case._ _First I was crying because I thought he was gone, now I was crying because he stayed._

"No, I promised you I wouldn't leave just yet. I thought you trusted me?"

"I do trust you, but you weren't here, so I feared the worst," I said, trying to calm myself down.

He chucked quickly. "You know, I had you locked in that cold room for days without feeding you, and you never once cried. Now that you're free, you just keep the water works flowing."

"I know, I'm acting like a desperate, clingy, insane, nut job."

"No, you're not. You're under a lot of stress right now, a few tears are to be expected."

"Right, and when did you become an expert on human emotions?" I asked with a smile.

"I think you underestimate how much TV I've watched since the public first started buying televisions. Human emotions are always in the forefront of most shows."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to believe everything you see on TV?" I joked.

"No, why?" He said with a straight face, and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"So where were you, why weren't you with me when I woke up?"

"I was entertaining."

"Huh?" He led me to the kitchen, where I was horrified to find Phil sitting at the table, drinking coffee.

"Good morning, Bella," Phil greeted me happily. "I was in the area, and I was going to invite you to breakfast; I didn't realize that you had company."

"Uh, yeah. Edward was just…"

"It's Ok, Bella." Phil interrupted my poor excuse of trying to come up with a good explanation. "You're eighteen, and I'm not your father, so you don't have to explain anything to me."

"So, have you seen my mom yet this morning?"

"Yeah, I just left there."

"How is she doing?"

"She's getting better every day." Phil told me a little more about my mother, and then he started talking about the hospital staff and other trivial details.

Edward was standing in a part of the kitchen that Phil couldn't see from where he was sitting, and he was making the goofiest faces at me as Phil continued to talk. Then I watched as Edward walked way too close to Phil's back, and he leaned over him and opened his mouth exposing his teeth. My heart started racing as Edward's teeth came within inches of Phil's neck. I was about to scream at him to stop, when Phil unexpectedly turned to look behind him, but Edward was already casually leaning against the back wall. Phil turned back to me, and then took a sip of his coffee. I glanced up at Edward, and he was silently laughing hysterically behind him.

I took a deep breath, then locked my eyes to Edward's.

_Not Funny-_ I mouthed to him, but he kept laughing soundlessly.

"Well, do you two want to go get some breakfast?" Phil asked after he was finished telling the story that I wasn't paying attention to.

"Uh…"

"Actually Phil," Edward said suddenly. "I was just about to cook breakfast, you're more than welcome to stay."

"Uh, that's not such a good idea," I said quickly; there was no way I would let Edward have Phil for breakfast. "I haven't been shopping yet, and we don't have any fresh ingredients in the house."

"Don't worry love, I went shopping before you woke up," Edward said with an evil smile.

_SHIT!_

"Oh well, thanks. I'd love to stay," Phil said.

_FUCK!_

I loved Edward unconditionally, and I'd even still love him if he ate my mom's boyfriend, but I really didn't want it to come down to that. My mother had been through enough, there was no way she needed the man she loved to get drained by a vampire.

I watched Edward intently as he moved around the kitchen at a quick human rate. I had no idea what his plans were, but he was definitely keeping up the pretenses of cooking as he got eggs and cheese out of the fridge.

Phil was telling me another story, which I wasn't listening to, and I watched shockingly as Edward seemed to be flipping an omelet. He grabbed two plates out of the cabinet, and slid the food on to them. He brought the plates to the table, and I was surprised again that he also managed to make toast and bacon as well. He smirked as I stared at him dumbfounded.

"Wow Edward, this is amazing. How did you learn to cook so well?" Phil asked.

"Food Network" Edward winked at me.

"I love that channel," Phil said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it's very informative," Edward agreed.

"Aren't you hungry?" Phil asked him.

"No, I actually _ate _earlier."

I swallowed my bite of omelet hard, and chocked as it went down.

"Are you OK, love?" Edward asked concerned.

"Yeah, I think I just need to…." I got up and ran to the bathroom to vomit, yet again.

After throwing up the few bites of omelet I ate, I sunk to the floor of the bathroom and laid there for a moment. I wasn't sure what made me feel worse, being sick, or knowing Edward was killing people in my home town.

I didn't even notice that Edward came into the bathroom, until he scooped me off the floor and carried me to my room. He laid me on my bed, and then placed his cold hand on my forehead.

"Bella, are you Ok?" He asked softly.

"No, I just really don't feel well."

"You don't smell sick, and you don't have a fever."

"You can smell when someone is sick?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah. Blood from the ill tastes awful."

"Ugh!" I moaned, and rolled over to bury my face in my pillow.

"Should I go get a doctor?"

"No, I'm….." I jumped out of bed to run back to the bathroom.

Edward followed me, and held me up while I dry heaved into the toilet. When my stomach convulsions finally stopped, Edward carried me back to bed.

"Bella, you've lost weight, you need to get checked out. How long has this been going on for?"

"A few days."

"A few days? And you haven't been to the doctor yet?" He asked in a scolding tone.

"No, I've been a little busy."

"Well, you have time now. Phil just left, and he's going to tell your mom that you won't be in to see her today, because you're sick."

"No, I have to go see her."

"Look, I'm going to go draw you a bath, and then we'll see how you feel later." Edward didn't give me time to protest, he was already out of the room and I could hear the water running in the bathroom down the hall.

He was back five minutes later, and then started taking off my clothes. "If we're not about to have sex, you stripping me is kind of lame. I'm not helpless."

"I know, I just like taking off your clothes for any reason." He smiled crookedly at me, then carried me to the bathroom at vampire speed.

He lowered me gently in the warm water and kissed my forehead. "You know, I haven't had a bath since I was five," I complained.

"Why not, women on soap operas take them all the time, they say it's relaxing."

"You really do watch way too much TV. You should really cut back, it's not healthy."

"I'll keep that in mind," he joked.

"This would be a lot more enjoyable if you were in here with me," I said seductively.

"I'd lower the temperature too quickly. Just relax for a bit, I'll be right in the living room."

"Can't go for more than a couple hours without TV, can you?" I teased. He smiled, then left the room, but kept the door open.

I felt ridiculous lying in a bath, especially since my _drop dead_ (pun intended) gorgeous vampire boyfriend was sitting in the next room. It only made it worse that the water was warm; I hated warm things.

I grabbed a loofah and started washing my arms. The faster I cleaned myself, the sooner I could beg him to let me out. I followed washing my arms with washing my neck, chest, then down my stomach…my stomach which had a very prominent bulge just under the skin.

I rubbed my hand over my stomach repeatedly, but I couldn't seem to make the swell disappear. I had been vomiting incessantly, but instead of getting thinner, my stomach was bloating out. I laid there for a few minutes, completely confused, and then the bulge moved. It was only a slight nudge, but it was distinct and unquestionably foreign in my body.

"Edward?" I whispered because I couldn't find my stronger voice, but I knew he could hear me anyway.

He came through the opened door a moment later. "What, what's wrong?"

"My stomach…there's something inside it," I said slowly.

"What?" He asked confused, then bent over me to place his cold hand against my abdomen.

"What is it?" I asked after a few seconds.

He shook his head. "This wasn't here earlier."

"I know, but it keeps moving."

He looked up at me, but didn't move his hand from my stomach. "We absolutely need a doctor now, no more stalling," he insisted, and my stomach nudged me from the inside again.

Then I realized something. "Edward, I'm late."

"Bella, you can't go see your mom right now…" He misunderstood me.

"No, I'm _late_." Everything started falling into place. The vomiting, the repeat emotional crying fits, and the bump, all led to one thing.

Edward stared at me for a moment as he comprehended what I was telling him, and then he shook his head. "It's not possible; vampires can't procreate."

"Well I've never had sex with anyone but you. It all makes sense, being sick…."

"Bella, you're not pregnant," he said forcefully. "Vampires are dead, we don't have the ability to create life."

My stomach objected his statement by nudging me even harder than before. Edward didn't have to be touching me, he saw it. His eyes grew wide, and then he turned into a statue_. Can vampires go into shock?_

I got out of the bath and we both just sat together for a while and said nothing. Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I left the vampire statue in my room, and I went to the kitchen to clean up. I was actually slightly annoyed that the kitchen was spotless, though I wasn't surprised; of course Edward cleaned up. With nothing else to do, I went to my mother's room to go through her old clothes and make sure everything is in order for her return. I felt a cool breeze move through the house, and I was immediately relieved that my statue came back to life.

"Edward?"

"I'll be right back," he said, and then I heard the front door shut.

I used the next twenty minutes of alone time, to talk to my rapidly growing bump. I had a whole conversation with it, telling it everything about my life and my love for Edward. Finally I heard Edward coming in through the back door, which was strange. I went to meet him, and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that he wasn't alone.

"Bella, Dr. Mendelton here is going to give you an exam." Edward said dryly. The man was obviously annoyed for being kidnapped and brought to my house against his will, so he was full of attitude.

"Fine, lie on the bed." The doctor said coldly.

I laid down, and he lazily started pushing on my stomach. After a minute, he became very interested, and then got out his stethoscope. Edward rolled his eyes at that, because he knew the doctor wouldn't be able to hear anything. Vampires had better hearing than any instrument a human could use, and Edward heard nothing.

"Well, your uterus is definitely enlarged, which would indicate a pregnancy, and there is obviously something moving in there, but I can't hear a heartbeat and the uterus itself is harder than stone." Without saying another word, the doctor picked up his cell phone and walked outside with it. Edward took a deep breath, and without looking at me, he followed the doctor outside.

I sat there for another ten minutes before Edward finally came back,_ alone_. I didn't want to ask, and I didn't need to either, I knew Edward killed him and disposed the body somewhere. I loved him more than anything, but I couldn't look at him in that moment knowing he just murdered someone.

I knew what he did, and he knew that I knew, so he left me alone for a few hours while I tried to forget about it. There was no point in getting worked up over it; he'd still be dead, so being upset wouldn't change anything.

"What about Alice?" I broke the silence after forcing all my negative emotions away.

"What about her?"

"Well, you said she can see the future right? Can you contact her and ask what she sees about this?"

"No. Alice said that she couldn't see you anymore, and it's probably because of this. She couldn't see me either when I was with you before. Besides, if she did have some kind of vision about this, she'd find me and tell me about it. I don't even know where her coven is, I have no way to contact her right now."

"Edward, I have a friend whose Native American, and they have all kinds of accurate stories about supernatural things, maybe one of their stories talks about this?"

"Do you trust him?"

"Well yeah, I've known him forever and our families are really close."

"Can you ask him, without telling him the truth? It's against our law to be telling people about vampires, so if the Volturi ever found out, they'll kill him."

"Well, he already knows. He grew up with the legends, and ….he's a werewolf"

"A werewolf? Bella, what the hell is wrong with you? You befriend werewolves, and have sex with vampires?"

I shrugged. "It's a strange world."

Edward hated the idea, but we couldn't come up with any other options. I called Jake, and he agreed to fly out to speak with me, but he didn't want to be anywhere near Edward. Edward of course, refused to leave me alone with a werewolf, so he stayed.

I waited anxiously for the hours it took for Jacob to arrive, and later that evening, he finally came in a cab. I gave Edward a pleading warning look, begging him with my eyes to be calm.

"I promised you that I'm not going to kill him, so I won't," Edward said quietly.

I swallowed hard, and then went to open the door. Jacob was standing there shaking, with his hands clinched.

"This place reeks of vamp stench," Jake said angrily.

Jake looked past me and zeroed in on Edward standing in the far end of the room. Instinctually, he grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. Edward must have heard from his mind that he had no intentions of hurting me, so he didn't react to Jacob's action, but he did smirk at him.

"You really think you can protect her from me?" Edward said smugly.

"I know I can, leech."

Edward smiled wider, and then looked down to the floor. There was a sudden rush of breeze, and Edward appeared behind me with his hand around Jake's neck, and he had him pinned against the wall of the house.

"Don't mess with me child, I'll end you before you even know what happened to you," Edward threatened him. He lifted slightly on his neck, until Jake's feet were lifted off the ground.

"Edward, stop." I pleaded, but Edward ignored me.

"Without your little pack, you are nothing."

Jacob swung at him, but missed. His face was starting to turn blue from the lack of oxygen, due to Edwards's hand strangling him.

"Just remember that pup," Edward warned, then released Jacob. Jake fell to the ground, and panted for air.

"You fucking bloodsucker, if I had been in wolf form, I would have had you."

"Right," Edward said, mockingly.

Edward walked back in the house and grabbed my hand, towing me with him. Jake stood outside for a few more moments, then collected his wounded ego and followed us in.

"I thought you said you needed my help?" Jake said finally.

"Yeah well, _we _do," I said eying Edward suggestively.

"Can vampires have kids?" Edward said bluntly.

"Huh?" Jacob was understandably confused.

"Can. I. Get. Her. Pregnant?" Edward said, separating each word slowly.

"Ugh! Bells, why would you _want _to have a demon child?"

"It's less about wanting one, and already having one," I said sheepishly.

I lifted up my shirt so Jake could see my growing bulge. "What the fuck?" Jake stared at it incredulously.

"Thanks for nothing mutt, you can leave now." Edward told him, and then turned back to me. "Bella, he doesn't know anything, we're just wasting time."

"Hold up," Jake said. "I don't know anything about the disgusting demon growing in your stomach, but I do know someone who might."

"Who?" I asked.

"There's a coven of vampires who lives in Vancouver. I've only ever met their leader, but he's a doctor."

"Wait, you're on friendly terms with a vampire?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Well I wouldn't exactly call him a friend, but yeah. My great grandfather made a treaty with his coven when he was alpha, so we have to uphold it. You know him too Bella, remember Dr. Cullen?"

"Dr. Cullen, the ER doctor?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, when did he become a vampire?" I asked surprised.

"He was always a vampire. Why do you think my dad refused to let him treat him after the accident?"

"Oh…wow."

It was pretty unbelievable that a vampire could work as a doctor, but Edward did say that the blood of the sick was appalling to vampires, so I guess it would be easy enough to resist killing patients. I met Dr. Cullen when he was chief of staff at Forks General. He treated me on many occasions, but he moved away last summer. I never met any of his family, but he always talked about his children to me, so perhaps vampires could procreate after all.

"No," Edward said suddenly.

"No, what?" I asked.

"No, I'm not going to take you to see some coven of vampires. I don't give a shit that the vampire pretends to be a doctor. All he has to do is go to the Volturi with this, and then we're all dead."

"I think we're running out of options here, Edward. I know Dr. Cullen, he's treated me many times and he's never threatened me in any way. I know that if anyone can help us, it's him."

I was starting to think that either it was an incredibly small world, or I was just a magnet for dangerous supernatural creatures. My best friend was a werewolf, my mom got kidnapped by vampires, and then I got kidnapped by a vampire, who I fell in love with. I shouldn't have been surprised that my old doctor was a vampire as well. It couldn't all just be coincidence, could it? Perhaps I was just meant to be part of the supernatural world, and fate would stop at nothing to get me there.

Edward shook his head, but then reluctantly agreed. He had a hard time trusting other vampires, especially when it came to me, but we were getting desperate. He could see my stomach changing and growing, and we needed help.

I had no idea where Edward was getting money from, but he bought the three of us plane tickets. I went to the hospital to say goodbye to my mother, and then we were off. Edward didn't want Jacob coming with us, but he had more knowledge when it came to the Cullen coven, and perhaps the Doctor would be more willing to speak to him.

The airplane ride was….tense. Edward and Jake were mortal enemies, and they were sitting on either side of me, just begging for a chance to kill the other. If I hadn't been sick, I was sure that they would have fought regardless of my feelings about it. I had increasingly become more and more weak due to the sickness, and at some point, I fell asleep. I woke up when the pilot came over the speaker and said we were descending. I had been lying against Edward's hard shoulder, so on top of feeling like shit, I had a stiff neck as well.

"Do you even know where this coven lives?" Edward asked bitterly as we left the airport.

"No, but I know they're here somewhere," Jake said, and Edward rolled his eyes.

"This is a waste of time."

"Just chill," Jake told him.

We had a cab take us to the hospital, and we asked the first nurse we saw if she knew Dr. Cullen. She said yes but that it was his day off. Edward dazzled her a bit, and then she gave us his address.

We got to the house ten minutes later, and the three of us stood quietly outside for a moment, too nervous to actually knock. But we didn't have to knock, the door opened and a woman stood in the doorway with a smile.

"Can I help you?" She looked at the three of us curiously, obviously knowing the type of creatures we all were.

"Uh, my name is Jacob Black."

"Ephraim's grandson."

"Right. Well this is my friend Bella…"

"We're here to see your mate," Edward interrupted Jake's pleasantries.

"Of course, please come in."

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**EPOV**

The female vampire already knew what we all were, so taking time for introductions was pointless. She led us to the common area of the house, and asked us to take a seat. She offered the Bella and the mutt something to drink, and when they politely refused, she left to get her mate. I kept my mind focused on her, so I would know if there was going to be any trouble.

"Carlisle, there is a very interesting threesome here to see you."

"Interesting?"

"Yes, a human girl, a Quileute wolf, and a Volturi guard member."

"What? Really? Are you sure he's a Volturi?"

"Yes, he has the emblem on his necklace."

"Do you recognize him?"

"No."

"Ok, call Emmet and Jazz, just in case." The doctor told his mate.

"Ok."

I smirked knowing they were threatened by me, and that was exactly the reason why I wore the Volturi crest in the first place.

The blonde male vampire walked in the room, and he froze in place when he saw me.

"Uh, Dr. Cullen, you may not remember me, my name is Jacob Black."

_Edward? _– The vampire thought.

I looked at him strangely; he knew me, but I had no idea who he was.

_I can't believe you're actually here, after all these years_ – he obviously not only knew me, but knew what I could do because he was speaking to me in his mind. I could remember every single moment of my vampire life, so I knew I never met him before, but for some reason, this guy was acting like we were old friends.

"I'm sorry; I have no idea who you are." I finally said to him.

"No, I guess you wouldn't."

"You know him, Carlisle?" his mate asked.

"I created him," he said unexpectedly. His mind replayed a scene from _our_ past. _I was lying on a bed, dying of the flu, and he was my doctor. He had a conversation with my mother, and she begged him to save me, so he did. He took me to his apartment where he bit me, and the transformation began. He met two vampires who he trusted, and they betrayed him by steeling me while he was away. I could actually feel his sorrow and helplessness when he realized what had happened. He spent five years searching for me, only to finally find the vampire who took me, and he told him that I was given to Aro. _

I never knew how I became a vampire, but in watching the memories of my creator, I realized that I was never meant to be what I became. I was never supposed to be a Volturi member, and I was never supposed to leave the US. If I had been allowed to stay with the Cullens, I would have lived in Washington with them when they lived there, and I would have met Bella. Like everything else in my existence, every step I took in both scenarios, I was always heading towards Bella. We were on a collision course, and nothing would have stopped us from meeting and being together.

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***What did you think, too cheesy? Edward will learn that his sister is a member of the Cullen clan in the next chapter and they'll discuss the pregnancy as well. ****Please Review*******


	12. Ch 11 Vegetarians

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, I really appreciate it.

~Chapter 11 – _Vegetarians~_

EPOV

"What's going on Carlisle?" his mate asked.

He started explaining everything that he showed me in his memory, and even as he spoke of it so many decades later, it was clear how much pain he still carried from my loss. It was strange, this vampire who I never really met before, seemed to care more about me than any other vampire, besides Alice, that I'd known for over eighty years. I wasn't used to vampires caring about others at all, besides their mates, so the emotions radiating off this man took me off-guard.

Bella stayed quietly next to me, as she listened intently to Carlisle's story about my creation. She was absolutely fascinated by everything, and even the disgusting mutt was interested in it all. Finally, after finishing the part where I had disappeared and he learned that I was with the Volturi, he paused to take notice of the strange company I had with me.

"So Edward, I assume life with the Volturi has treated you well. I have been worried for you over the decades, many guard members don't last five years with them especially as newborns, but I guessed Aro would want to hold on to your particular gifts."

"Yes, life with the Volturi has been good to me."

"I finally feel like I can have some peace after seeing you again, and knowing you're doing well for yourself. Well, it's obvious that you didn't come here to visit me and reminisce about a past you were unaware of, so please, what can I do for you?"

I didn't know where to begin, but Bella didn't have any qualms about jumping in.

"Dr. Cullen, I don't know if you remember me or not…"

"Of course I remember you Ms Swan, as well as Mr. Black, and that's why I'm so surprised to see you in my home here with Edward. You clearly know the truth about us, so I won't try to belittle your intelligence in the matter. How in the world did you get mixed up with a vampire and a werewolf?"

"Oh, I've known Jake most of my life, our dad's are best friends, and I met Edward in Italy over the summer."

Carlisle looked back to me confused. "I thought one of the biggest rules of the Volturi, was keeping humans ignorant?"

I couldn't help but laugh briefly. "It is, but it seems as though Bella doesn't exactly play by the rules."

"OK, well that's your business. What can I do for you all?" He asked again.

"I think I'm pregnant," Bella said abruptly.

"Uh, well, have you gone to a doctor? I'm sorry I don't understand why you came all the way here to inform me about this. I was only your ER doctor, not your general practitioner; you're going to want to go to an OBGYN. Have you talked to your parents yet?"

"I saw a human doctor already and he didn't know what to make of it, so I was hoping you could check me out."

"I don't know what I could possibly tell you, that a human doctor couldn't."

"_If _she is pregnant, then it's not exactly human because it's mine," I said.

Carlisle just stared at me blankly for several long moments. Esme's mind was blank as well, Bella's mind was always blank from me, and the mutt was throwing mental insults. I really hoped that Bella would get pissed at him at some point; I only needed a moment of her fondness for him to waver, and I'd snap his fucking neck before she had a chance to change her mind. Perhaps I'd also bend my distaste for torture just a bit; it would be absolutely blissful to torture the wolfboy.

"I've never heard of vampire being able to procreate before," Carlisle finally said, "but I'll do an exam if you'd like."

I had to stop myself from hissing at him. It didn't matter that he was my creator and a doctor, he was still a vampire who I didn't know well enough to trust, and Bella had blood which was too sweet to risk letting her anywhere near any vampire. But this was why we were there; we needed him to check her out, so I reluctantly agreed, though I would go no further than arms length away from her.

He took us into his office and had Bella lay down on the couch. "Now, what makes you think you're pregnant?" He asked as he started feeling her stomach.

"Uh, missed period, vomiting, emotional outbursts, and then there's the moving bump." Bella listed.

"Uh huh. Well, your uterus is definitely enlarged," he stated the obvious. "_Okay_," he said slowly as the thing growing inside Bella, nudged his hand. "I'd like to run some blood."

Ok, that was it. I grabbed Bella off the couch and pulled her behind me forcefully, while hissing aggressively at him.

"Edward calm down. You can hear my mind, so you know that I would never hurt her. I'm a doctor, I just want to run some tests on her blood," he said slowly, trying to reason with me.

"People can lie with their thoughts, especially when they know someone is listening," I rebutted.

Three more vampires breezed in the room, taking defensive positions in front of Carlisle. Along with Carlisle's mate, there was a blonde female, and a very large male with dark hair. The mutt came in as well, and he surprised me by taking a stance with me in front of Bella.

"I don't want this to turn into a fight," Carlisle said. "You came to me, remember?"

"Obviously, that was a mistake."

"Man, you kids don't stand a chance." The big vampire said, cockily.

"Please," I said sarcastically. "Ever heard of Felix, with the Volturi? He's like twice the size of you, and I've taken him down a few times."

"The only way you're going leave here, is in pieces," he threatened me.

"It's fine if you don't want me to try to help Ms Swan, but there doesn't need to be a fight." Carlisle said sternly.

"And how do I know that you're not going to go to the Volturi with this?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I thought _you _were the Volturi?" The blonde female said sardonically, and I had an overwhelming desire to rip her head off.

"Ah, are we on the outs with the biggest coven in the world?" The large vampire asked mockingly.

"This is ridiculous, Carlisle," the blonde said. "If he's gone against the Volturi, he's going to pull us into it and we'll all get killed. We _should_ go to them right away, it's our only chance."

I hissed at her viciously, and the big guy hissed back.

_Let's do this_ – he thought.

_I hope Emmet kills him fast, I have to go do my nails_ – the blonde thought.

My muscles coiled to spring, and I could see him doing the same. The rest of the vampires in the room backed up, and the mutt pulled Bella away.

_Please don't do this_ – Carlisle pleaded with his mind.

We lunged at each other. He went for my neck, but of course I saw him doing it before he actually did it, and moved out of the way. We were throwing punches and swiping at the other…but getting nowhere. Every move he made, I'd see a second ahead of time, and every blow I'd land wasn't very effective because of his massive strength.

Two more vampires sped in the room, and I briefly thought that the coven was strangely large. There were few covens bigger than four, and this one was up to six.

"Edward, stop!" Her petite hands were firmly set on my chest, and her mate stood in front of the big vampire I was fighting.

"Alice? What the hell are you doing here?" I asked her.

"Well, I wish I could say that I had a vision of this, but I didn't," she said frustrated. "This is my home, and they're my family, so why are you fighting them?"

"This is your coven?" I didn't know why I was surprised; I knew Alice was involved with a strange coven.

"Yes."

"And how do you know Edward, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"He's my brother."

"Your brother?" The big vampire said, annoyed.

"You're a Masen?" Carlisle asked her surprised.

"Oh, is that what our last name was? I couldn't remember."

"I always thought Edward was an only child," Carlisle said.

"Our parents kept her very guarded," I explained bitterly. I didn't remember much from my human life, but I did know that Alice had issues, which our parents were ashamed of. People always freaked out back then if someone would have strange dreams, and act in a way which was considered undignified. Alice's premonition dreams scared her, but they scared our parents more.

"OK, so tell me what this fight was about?" Alice asked me, but looked towards her large coven member also.

"Carlisle tried to get Bella's blood, and Rambo over there, got cocky." I explained.

"Who?" Alice asked confused.

"Rambo, he's a…forget it, I mean that big guy over there." Bella was right; I did watch too much television. Most vampires had better things to do than watch TV, so it made sense Alice didn't know who Rambo was.

"Edward, Carlisle is a doctor."

"He's still a vampire." I retorted.

"A vampire who only feeds on animals. Edward, I told you that my coven and I are vegetarians."

_Oh…right…shit….my bad._

"Well I didn't know that _they_ were your unconventional coven, until you got here."

"Well, they are. Carlisle has never even tasted human blood, except for the times he's turned them." Alice explained.

"Never? Man, you don't know what you're missing."

"Well, I tasted your blood when I turned you, then I turned Esme, Rosalie, and Emmet, so I know what I'm missing, but I'd rather help humans than drink them. Edward, I work in an ER and I'm around blood all the time, I'm in no way a threat to your Bella."

"Her blood is a little more potent than most."

"I've stitched her up several times already; she came into my ER with a gushing wound two years ago."

I turned to look at Bella, she smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "I fell down stairs, and into some broken glass."

I shook my head at her, and turned back to Carlisle. "I'm sorry for my behavior, can you please continue with examining her," I said through clinched teeth. I hated apologizing for anything, it made me feel inferior.

"What's wrong with Bella?" Alice asked suddenly. Alice never met Bella, but she saw her enough in her visions, that she talked about her like they were old friends.

"She's pregnant," I stated. I pretty much accepted the fact, and I just wanted to focus on how to get rid of it.

"By you?" Alice assumed.

"Yep." I said in a detached voice.

"Oh boy. Well, Carlisle will take care of her. I bet that's the reason why I can't see her anymore, and I can't see you when you're with her either." Alice walked over to Bella, and hugged her.

"Ooo, you do smell good."

"Uh, thanks." Bella said with a friendly smile.

"And you've adopted a new pet." Alice said, referring to the mutt. "Well, at least this one is closer to a real animal."

"I'm no one's pet," the mutt said angrily, but everyone ignored him.

"Bella, do you mind if I take some of your blood to be analyzed." Carlisle asked cautiously.

"Sure."

The vampires started leaving the room, and Bella went back to the couch, but Emmet refused to budge. "If he's staying, then so am I."

"Emmet, he's staying with his mate," Carlisle said to him.

"Well he tried to attack you, so I'm not leaving him alone with you."

"Edward was just protecting Bella, he thought I was a threat to her. But he's calm now, and I'm sure Bella would be more comfortable if you left."

"Something tells me that girl isn't uncomfortable around vampires at all, I mean she's already fucking one. How do you do that anyway? I'd turn her into an accordion."

I growled at him, so he put up his hands defensively.

"Emmet, go." Carlisle commanded.

"Ok, Ok."

Carlisle examined her again, and then he got a needle from his doctor kit. "Bella, this will only pinch for a moment," he said, then stuck a needle in her arm. I absolutely hated seeing the needle in her; it reminded me too much of the way her mother looked when I found her. The intoxicating aroma of Bella's blood went swirling around the room as it started flowing into the little tube. But the temptation was completely gone for me, because all I wanted was for her to be OK.

After a few moments, Carlisle took the needle out, and he put a band-aid on her. "I'll take this to the lab, and I'll have the results in about an hour. Can you wait that long?"

"Yeah, sure."

He started walking out of the room, but I stopped him, "Carlisle, thank you."

He smiled warmly, "You're welcome."

Bella and I went down stairs, and I almost had to laugh because Emmet was razzing the mutt.

"So, do you lift your leg when you piss? I bet you like fucking doggie style. Tell me, when you meet a chick, do you ask if you can smell her ass?"

"Emmet!" Esme scolded him.

"What? It's a legitimate question."

"So, what does it feel like?" Rose asked Bella as we sat down.

"What?"

"Being pregnant."

"Uh…I don't know. Right now, I just feel sick and tired."

"I don't understand how she could be pregnant. If vampires could have kids, Rose and I'd have like fifty by now." Emmet said with a smile, then he turned to the mutt, "We fuck like rabbits, but with the ferocity of bears."

"Good for you," the mutt said.

"Hey Edward, Jazz and I are going hunting later; do you want to come with us?" Alice asked.

"If by _hunting_, you mean draining woodland creatures, I'll pass." I said grossed out.

"Edward, drink to live, not live to drink."

"That's disgusting."

"No, what's disgusting is that you claim to be in love with a human, but yet you continue to consume those in her species," Rose said snottily.

I looked at Bella besides me, and she seemed quiet and distant.

"Seriously though," Emmet said, "how _do_ you fuck her, without killing her?"

"So, none of you kill people?" Bella asked finally.

"Nope, we have a human free diet. Animals don't taste as good, but hey, they keep us going." Emmet told her.

"Is that why your eyes are all that color?" Bella asked in amazement.

"Yes." Rose said.

"And you don't need contacts when you're around humans?"

"No. Not many humans have eyes close to this color, but they usually don't question it." Rose answered her.

Bella kept asking more and more questions about their disturbing life style, and she was completely fascinated by all of it. I didn't understand her interest, but at least she seemed comfortable around all of them.

Carlisle came back a little while later, and he wore a very stressed expression on his face.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"She's definitely pregnant," he told me, then turned to her. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have to ask. Are you sure that no one else can be the father?"

"I've never had sex with anyone else, and I highly doubt I'd ever be picked for Immaculate Conception."

"Ok, well….I did some research while I was gone as well, and there have been some folklore about male vampires being able to conceive children with humans, but…."

"But what?" I asked eagerly.

"But few mothers survived the pregnancy, and none survived the actual birth."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that if the stories are correct, Bella will have a very difficult time surviving this."

I looked at Bella, but she looked down, and then let her hand cradle her stomach. "But, just because none survived before, that doesn't mean that I can't."

"Bella?" I said softly, but she wouldn't look at me.

"What about the baby, did you find out any information on it?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "Not much, but I didn't look for long. We will need to do much more research before we can come to any conclusions. Bella, I brought an ultrasound machine home, I think it would be best to see exactly what the fetus looks like."

"Ok," she said, and then she laid on the couch as Carlisle set up the machine. We would have gone back upstairs, but everyone wanted to see the ultrasound, so we stayed in the living room.

He turned on the machine and put the wand on Bella's abdomen, but he didn't keep it there for long.

"The rays can't penetrate through the hard casing around the fetus. We have no way of knowing what it looks like."

"Fine, just get the thing out of her." I said.

"NO!" Bella yelled at me. "I'm not getting an abortion."

"Bella, it's not some cuddly baby in there, it's a monstrous demon…thing."

"You don't know that," she said back to me stubbornly.

"If Bella wants to continue with the pregnancy, then I'm going to make sure that she's allowed to do it." Rose said out of the blue.

"What? Who the fuck do you think you are? You just met Bella a couple hours ago, you have no right to butt into this." I said, but then I understood. Rose's mind went to the fanged demon infant, and she was rocking it and cooing like it was a real fucking baby. The female vampire was a nut job who longed for a child of her own, and I was sure that Bella's life was absolutely nothing to her. She didn't care if Bella died, why would she, she just wanted the baby.

"Edward, I'll make you a deal." Bella said suddenly.

"What deal?"

"You want to turn me, right?"

"So you'll let me turn you, if you can have the demon first?" I assumed. "Bella, you won't make it that long, it'll kill you, and I won't be able to turn you."

"Just listen. I get to _try_ to have the _baby_, and you can turn me after. But if it goes really bad then I'll let you end it early, and you can still change me."

I smiled triumphantly at her. "So basically, it's a win-win for me then. Either I turn you after, or during, depending on how it goes?"

She bit her lip, and shook her head. "I have one more condition."

"What?"

"You need to quit killing people."

I actually laughed at her, but she crossed her arms and her face was stern.

"Bella, come on? If you're not human anymore, then why would I ever think about giving up human blood? There's no point."

"Because it's wrong. I will not become a murderer, so if you want me to be a vampire like you, then you have to give it up too."

"Have you ever been to the zoo?" I asked her.

"Yeah why?" She asked confused.

"Don't you think the animals there are so cute and cuddly. Won't you feel bad about making them your meal?"

"Nowhere near as bad as making a human my meal."

I walked over to the mutt, and repulsively put my hand on his shoulder. "Bella, think about…_Jacob_" I forced myself to use his real name, instead of _mutt_. "How do you think it would make him feel if you drained a poor little forest wolf? I bet it'd really hurt his feelings and put a damper on your friendship."

"Don't fucking touch me, leech," the mutt muttered, but I ignored him. Even as a human, I wasn't the type of person to pay any attention to people's dogs.

"Edward, those are my terms," Bella said resolved.

"Come on Edward, Jazz and I will show you how it's done," Alice encouraged.

"No thanks, I'm not thirsty right now," I told her, trying to hide my disgust for Bella's sake.

"You are so stubborn, but it's going to happen, Edward I've seen it." Alice and her mate left, and I actually gagged at the thought of my sister sinking her teeth into a furry hide. Ugh!

Bella was still watching me with her deep chocolate eyes, and I knew she still wanted an answer from me.

"Ok, so the killing thing is the only reason why you don't want to become a vampire?" I asked her.

"Yes. If I had known there was a way to be a vampire without being a murderer, I would have begged you to turn me right away. I love you, and I want to spend forever with you, but I'm not willing to kill innocent people to do it."

I stared at her for several long moments. All joking aside, I knew I'd give up human blood in an instant if it meant I could keep Bella forever. I loved her more than anything, even blood, and I proved that by not killing her in the first place. Alice was right, I needed to drink to live, not live to drink like most vampires did. Bella was my whole life, and I'd do absolutely anything for her.

I didn't need to say it out loud; she could see it in my eyes. She knew I had already accepted her terms, and she started tearing up as a response.

"What's wrong dear?" Esme asked her.

"Nothing is wrong," Bella smiled widely and me, and then got up to wrap her arms around my neck. "Thank you. I love you so much," she whispered as I held her.

"I love you, too." And just like that, I became a disgusting vegetarian. I knew in that instant that I'd never drain a human again. There would be no period of potential relapse, and no difficulty restraining myself around humans. If I could live with my singer twenty four- seven, and be in the most intensely intimate situations with her, then there was no way that I'd ever not be able to resist a random human with mediocre blood. All blood was unsatisfactory after smelling Bella, so animal blood would just be one more step below that.

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***Edward's first 'hunting' trip up next. ****Please Review*******


	13. Ch 12 Trust

**Finding Heaven**

_A/N: I wasn't planning to update this weekend because I don't have a lot of time, but I stayed up late to finish this short chapter to tide you over until the Edward 'hunting' chapter. Sorry if you're disappointed, but I didn't want to rush it too much and make it suck. Lol._

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~Chapter 12 – _Trust_

EPOV

"Bella, would you like something to eat?" Esme asked her.

"Uh, I can't seem to keep anything down."

"You keep vomiting?" Carlisle asked her with concern.

"Yeah, and it doesn't matter what I eat, it just always comes back up."

Carlisle took her hand, and started squeezing the tips of her fingers gently.

_I'm just checking her for dehydration_ – he thought to me.

"Ok Bella, you are showing signs of dehydration. Have you been able to keep any water down?"

"No, I can't even drink water right now."

Carlisle nodded. – _Edward, if we can't keep her hydrated, then she won't make it much longer._

"What do we do?" I asked him.

Carlisle's mind went cautiously to IVs. "It's the only way," he said quietly.

I had already pulled Carlisle aside to apologize to him again in private, and I also explained my hatred of needles to him. I told him about Bella's mother and the horrific way she was kept, so Carlisle knew that I'd have issues with having Bella attached to IVs, but I also understood that Bella needed it.

Carlisle stared at me and waited for me to give him permission to put Bella on an IV drip. I reluctantly nodded, so he went into action.

"Bella, I need to hook you up to an IV to try to keep you hydrated, otherwise you won't make it another week."

"Oh…ok."

Suddenly, Carlisle's mind shifted to a new course of action. "Jacob, can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I think it would be best for us to return to Forks, for the duration of Bella's pregnancy."

"Why? I don't think it would be a good idea to tell her dad about this, he wouldn't understand."

"No, but if the Volturi decide to come after Edward, then perhaps the close proximity to the wolf pack may detour them a bit, or at least buy us some extra time. Plus, the rural location of our house there may be good for when the infant is born. We have no idea how it will act, so keeping it as far away from humans as possible, is best."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. I'll call Sam and tell him that you guys are coming back to the area."

"Thank you, Jacob."

"Sure, sure."

"Wait a minute, we're leaving?" Rose asked annoyed and frustrated.

"I think it would be for the best," Carlisle responded.

"No. We're finally in our senior year here, and I'm not ready to start all over again."

"Rose, going back to Forks temporarily, will offer the most amount of protection that we can hope for in this situation."

"Senior year? I thought you guys graduated before I came to Forks?" Bella asked.

"Whenever we move to a new place, we start high school again. The younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay without people noticing our lack of aging," Rose explained.

"So you repeat high school, over and over again? That's so lame," I said while laughing.

"Well, as soon as all this is done, you'll be a freshman. You have such a precious baby face that you'll have to play the younger role with Alice." Rose said while trying to pinch my cheeks, but I backed away from her.

"Uh, no. I'm not going to play high school, that's ridiculous. You are all very strange, you don't kill humans, and you pretend to be high school students. You're vampires; you are far superior to any measly human, so why lower yourself by living like them?"

"Well, your _human_ over there looks pissed at you," Rose told me. "You know, you really need to knock that Volturi attitude out. Stop thinking you're so superior all the time, because it's really upsetting your pregnant human girlfriend."

"Once she's turned, she'll understand."

"You didn't fall in love with a vampire, you fell in love with a human, so just remember that when you're snubbing your nose at the species." Rose said, then turned and walked away.

"So bro, I think we got off to the wrong start," Emmett said, and threw his massive arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry for fighting earlier."

I just stared at him. I never had a vampire sit so close to me, little alone have their arm around me so casually.

"This is the part where you say, _'I'm sorry too, Emmett'_."

"Right…well I'll get back to you on that," I said, and then got up and moved away from him.

Alice hugged me a few times over the decades, but that was as far as vampire affections went. Even when I had sex with various vampires, I still preferred to touch them as little as possible. For me, the only time a vampire should have its arm around someone who wasn't their mate, was when they are fighting and about to rip a limb off the other.

All of the Cullens went their separate ways, so they could prepare for their departure. They weren't happy about the sudden move, but after a minute, they accepted it and tried to make the best of the situation. Strangely, however, they were all happy about trying to help Bella, and they all seemed to really like her. We had only known them for a few hours, but they were acting as if we were already members of their unconventional coven. Bella and Esme were even discussing the future, as if it wasn't even a question that we'd still be with them.

"It's going to be so fun decorating the baby's room. I love decorating but I never got to do a nursery before," Esme told her.

"Well, I'm horrible with decorating, so I'll just leave that aspect up to you."

Rose came back into the house from wherever she had gone, and she must have had fifty bags. "I bought everything the baby is going to need. Clothes, bibs, bottles, baby toys, burp cloths, diapers. We're all set."

Rose started pulling everything out of the bags to show Bella, and Bella was actually interested in everything.

"Are you nuts? I mean really, do vampires go insane?" I asked her angrily. "This isn't some sweet baby who's going to coo and burp up its milk. I doubt the thing will even want bottles, and forget about the toys, all it's going to want to do is kill everyone."

I was so frustrated by all their optimism when it came to the demon spawn; they were getting Bella's hopes up, and that wasn't fair. Bella needed to understand that she's not going to get to mother the thing; we'll probably have to kill it right away anyway. If it's strong and uncontrollable, then we'll have to put an end to it before it draws too much attention. All we needed was the Volturi to find out about it, and we'd all be dead.

"Just because _you _want nothing to do with it, that doesn't mean that we can't prepare and get excited," Rose said to me.

I was about to jump at her and rip her fucking head off, but Carlisle came into the room, and I had already disrespected him enough.

"We're ready to go," Carlisle said to all of us.

I took Bella's hand, and helped her outside. We all piled into two SUVs, and headed to the airport. We would have just run the whole way, but the females had luggage, and Bella was in no condition to ride on my back that far. Bella tried to remain positive and light, but I could see it in her face, she was getting weaker and weaker by the hour. Carlisle said she'd be fine until we got to Washington, but that didn't stop me from still worrying.

"When was the last time you've been to the US?" Carlisle asked me as I was staring out the window of the plane. Bella was sleeping against my shoulder, and Carlisle was on the other side of her. He wanted to stay close to her, just in case she needed anything.

"Uh, nineteen eighteen," I said with a low chuckle.

"You haven't been back here since you first left to Italy as a newborn?" Carlisle said, surprised.

"No. I've been to France, Spain, Greece and a few countries in between, but I rarely ever leave Tuscany. Aro probably hasn't realized that I'm off the continent yet, because I've been gone for a few months at a time in the past, but I know things will get real ugly once he's figured it out."

"I imagine so," Carlisle agreed.

"I'm sorry for involving your coven like this. I actually didn't think the whole thing through before we set out to find you."

"Edward, I realize that you don't remember me, and we never had a chance to spend any real time together, but I have always thought of you as my son and I truly believe that your place has always been with us. We're a family, and families protect each other."

I shook my head at him. "I need your help with Bella, because you're a doctor and if anyone can save her, it's you. But once this thing is out of her, we're going to be on our way. I need to get back to Volterra, and since Bella has agreed to be changed, then I'll bring her back with me."

"Edward, of course you are free to do what you want, but Aro will know what you've been doing as soon as you go back there…"

"I know," I interrupted him. "But he'll stop at nothing to get me back there, and if I return with Bella as a vampire, then perhaps he'll forgive me for leaving with her. He wouldn't care if I left on my own for a while, but he knows that Bella knows the truth, and he would never stand for a human with that kind of knowledge being free."

"And what about the baby?"

I pressed my lips and shook my head again. "We both know that Bella won't make it long enough to carry it to term. She's going to get too bad, and she already agreed to let me end it and turn her, so it's only a matter of time," I whispered, so I wouldn't wake her.

"But there is a chance that they both survive."

"If by chance she survives long enough for it to be born, I'll turn her right after, and the monster will probably have to be terminated anyway. Immortal children are outlawed for a reason."

"This will not be an immortal child, it's half human, and it obviously grows. The same laws will not apply to the infant, so I think it would be best to come up with an alternate plan, just in case it does get born healthy."

"Carlisle, I really appreciate your help, but I won't draw the attention of the Volturi to your coven. If I stay with you, then they'll come looking for me, but if I go, hopefully I can convince them to leave you alone. It's the only chance that we'll all be able to survive this."

"If the infant is born, and poses no threat to anyone, then Aro will want it for himself. He's a collector of the rare and unique, and a vampire hybrid is definitely that. What will you do then?"

I thought for a moment. "It won't come to that. If this thing survives long enough to actually be born, then we're going to have to kill it right away. Vampires aren't angelic creations of god. No creature produced by one of us can be anything but evil, no matter what it looks like. This thing could be destined to bring the apocalypse for all we know; I mean, what other purpose would something like this have? Vampires are dead, we can't produce life. This is the work of something much darker than we could possibly imagine."

"Or maybe…it's a miracle," Carlisle said unexpectedly. Damn him. All the fucking optimism with this unconventional coven was really driving me nuts. Perhaps it was drinking all that animal blood, it must make them soft. But softness was weakness, and since I already promised Bella that I wouldn't kill humans anymore, I really needed to find a way to keep myself from becoming as pathetic as they were.

Rose was sitting behind us, so of course she was listening to our conversation and decided to butt in. She leaned over Bella's seat and whispered too low for humans to hear, "_When_ the _baby _is born, you can go back to Italy by yourself. Bella already said she wants to stay with us, so she's going to stay, and so is the baby. You are just going to have to tell Aro that he needs to find a different a different new species to be fascinated with."

"You have obviously never met Aro," I said annoyed, and refused to say anything more on the subject, especially to her. I didn't need any of their permission to kill the demon growing inside Bella, because it was _my_ demon to kill. I wasn't about to let some apocalypse ruin my eternity with Bella. I didn't wait over a hundred years to find her, only to lose her because we brought some devil baby into the world.

Bella awoke just as we started landing, and we immediately went to go rent a couple vans to take us all to their house in Forks. Bella fell back asleep during the car ride, so once we pulled up to the large white house in the woods, I carried her inside. Esme led me up the stairs and into a room which looked like it had been used as a media room. I laid her on the couch and kissed the tip of her nose softly.

"Shouldn't we get the IVs started?" I asked Carlisle, who came into the room and was gently taking Bella's vitals as she slept.

"She'll wake back up soon, as for now, let's just let her sleep. I'll keep checking her every hour or so."

"Ok," I said and just stood there watching her sleep.

"Yo," Emmett said quietly as he appeared in the doorway. "The mongrel went home. He said to call him if anything changes."

"Good," I said, glad to be rid of him finally.

"Edward, I think it would be good for you to go out with Alice and Jazz to get to know the territory. We are not allowed on Quileute lands, so you'll need to stay away from La Push, and you'll need to know the boundary line."

"Why would I need to know that?" I asked confused. I didn't plan on leaving the house, so there wasn't a point to learning the area.

"Edward, you will need to hunt eventually, and it would be wise to know where you can and can't go in the woods. Your eyes are darkening, so it won't be long before your thirst becomes unmanageable. I'm sure you don't want to be thirsty around Bella."

"I'd never hurt her," I said offended.

"Of course not, but there is no need to make yourself uncomfortable either. Besides, when Bella is turned she will need to hunt right away, and I'm sure you'll want to be the one to take her, so it will go much smoother if you know your way around a bit."

_He had a point. Damn it._

"I don't want to leave her."

"If you still don't trust us with her, then perhaps Emmett and Jazz can go with you, and Alice can stay here with her. Surely you trust Alice with her?"

"It's not about trust," I said honestly, which actually surprised even me, "I just don't want to _leave_ her."

"You really do love her, don't you? I have to admit, I had my doubts in the beginning. I thought you were just fascinated with her and nothing deeper than that, but you have definitely proved me wrong, which I'm very pleased about."

I laughed once humorlessly. "Maybe if I really loved her, I never would have put her in this situation."

"There was no way you could have predicted this. Not even Alice saw this coming."

"I can't lose her." I said quietly.

"You won't. I will make sure that she survives this for you," he said determined, and at that moment, I realized that I had complete confidence in Carlisle. If it was possible for Bella to survive, then I knew that he'd find it, and because of that simple fact alone, I trusted him more than any other vampire I had ever met.

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***Sorry we didn't get to Edward's hunt this chapter, but I promise that it is coming next. Please Review.***


	14. Ch 13 First Hunt

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 13 – _First Hunt_~

EPOV

"Ok Edward, no more stalling; it's time," Alice said as she flitted into the room. I grabbed her arm lightly, and led her back downstairs so we wouldn't wake Bella.

"Time for what?" I asked finally.

"Time to go hunting, of course."

"Uh, I just fed a few days ago, so I'm fine for at least another week."

"Oh, come on. You need to learn the area anyway, and I seriously doubt that you fed a few days ago, your eyes are way too dark for that."

"Ok fine, I haven't killed anyone in the US since I've been back, but don't mention that fact to Bella."

"You _want_ her to think you've killed people…._why?_" Alice asked confused.

"It's not that I _want_ her to think I have, it's just that I kind of made her believe that I killed a few people already, and I don't want her to think I'm a liar."

"You would rather her think you're a murderer?"

"No, I am that already. It doesn't matter if I never kill anyone else again, I'll still always be a murderer, and I can't just erase the past. I didn't just kill people to feed myself; I've also lured so many to their death, just so the Volturi could overindulge themselves. Men, women, even children; I've never cared about any of them before. But Bella's made me reconsider everything. I started having issues with killing people when I couldn't kill her father in Volterra, and then seeing her mother being tortured like that." I paused to shake my head. "But Bella asked me to stop killing people, so even though I hadn't in a while, I still want her to know that I gave it up _for_ of her."

"Ok, well why does she think you've killed people recently then?"

"Her mom's boyfriend came over for breakfast one day in Phoenix, and I made a few distasteful jokes, which she took very seriously. And then there was the doctor who I had check her out; she was pretty upset after I took him home, so I figured she thought I killed him."

"Aren't you worried that he'll tell someone about Bella's unusual pregnancy?"

"So what? No one would believe him, and he'll just end up in a mental hospital."

"Well, why didn't you tell her the truth?"

I shrugged. "So I didn't kill the guy that day, it doesn't bring back all the people that I _have_ killed before."

"You can be a real moron, do you realize that?" Alice asked me frustrated.

"Yeah. But you know, if anyone but you said that to me, I'd probably rip their head off."

"Hey moron, ready to go?" Emmet asked as he came into the room.

I growled at him, but he smirked.

_If we're going to brawl again, let's do it outside; Esme wouldn't appreciate us busting up the house, and I'm sure the forest needs thinning_ – he thought to me.

I shook my head at him. _What's the point?_

"So you're staying here?" I asked Alice.

"Yep, take your time, I'll keep Bella safe from all the toothless vampires," she joked.

"You don't have to do that, I trust Carlisle."

"Well good, but I think I'll stay anyway. I've already been hunting recently, and I think this could be a good male bonding trip."

"Great, this should be interesting."

"Don't worry about it Edward, we'll take good care of you," Jasper said with an evil grin.

I ran back upstairs to quickly, to kiss Bella as she slept, and then followed Jasper and Emmett out of the house.

"Now since this is your first time hunting animals, we'll start with something easy," Emmett said as we ran through the forest.

"There's a herd of elk about half a mile east. Do you hear them?" Jasper asked me.

"Uh, what, like their heartbeats?" I asked.

"Yes, and their heavy breathing. You can also hear their hooves crunching the foliage."

"Wonderful. Let's go get some stinking woodland creatures. I really hope we find some bunny rabbits too, I'd love to try those." I said sarcastically, and then took off running towards the herd.

I wasn't stealthy enough, because I didn't care enough to try, so the herd took off running when I approached.

"Dude!" Emmett yelled at me. "You have to strike at them smoothly; be a silent hunter."

"Why? I prefer it when my prey is scared," I said, then took off running after the elk. I felt absolutely ridiculous chasing animals around the forest.

It didn't take long to catch a buck, but I just held the thing as it squirmed and tried to get away from my grasp. "Isn't there anything that smells better than this?" I asked Emmett and Jasper.

"Dude, just drink it. It doesn't taste great, but at least it quenches the burn." Emmett said annoyed by my hesitation.

"It's all…_furry_," I complained.

"Come on. Damn!" Emmett yelled.

I huffed, and then closed my eyes tightly.

_It's just a hairy man, it's just a hairy man_ – I thought to myself, and then I brought my mouth to its neck. Once I got past the fur, my teeth sunk into the hide easily.

"UHG!" I pulled away after only taking a sip. "That's disgusting."

"If you don't drink it fast, it'll die and then the blood won't be good anymore." Jasper said.

"It's not good _now_," I rebutted, but I forced myself to bite back into it. _Anything for Bella_.

Drinking the animal was similar to being in pain; I could think around it. I kept my mind busy on anything else, as the foul tasting blood cooled the fire in my throat. When the animal ran dry, I threw the carcass to the side and stood up.

"See, not too bad," Jasper said.

"Are you kidding? That was awful," I said disgusted.

"But hey, you got through it." Jasper said in a praising tone.

"It gets better, and after a while, you won't even think about it anymore," Emmett told me.

Emmett and Jasper then led me to a specific place in the woods, and showed me exactly where the treaty line was. I wasn't allowed to cross it, otherwise we'd be in violation of the treaty, and the wolves would attack us. I suddenly whished that vampires could conveniently forget things; I'd love to cross into their lands 'unintentionally' and then battle the wolves. But Vampires never forgot anything, so I knew that excuse was lost to me.

_Wow, you're actually out trying animals, huh?_ – Jacob's thoughts carried to my mind. I looked around, and didn't see him anywhere, but I could smell him.

"Where the hell are you?" I asked annoyed.

A giant wolf stepped out of the trees on the other side of the treaty line. I hadn't seen him as a wolf yet, so I was surprised how big he was. It was actually quite impressive.

"Out pissing on trees?" Emmett asked the wolf. The wolf mutt growled at him, but Emmett's grin just grew wider.

_How's Bella?_ – The mutt thought to me.

"Not much different than before you left," I told him, feeling like an idiot for talking to a horse sized wolf.

_Sam's really fucking pissed about the whole vamp baby thing, but I think I've cooled him off for now._

"Well, Sam isn't the only one pissed on the subject. Tell him not to worry, I'm going to handle the thing myself when the time comes."

_Bella's not going to be happy about that_.

"No fucking shit Sherlock, but she'll just have to understand after a while."

_Right, good luck with that. I gotta get back, but don't even think about crossing the line parasite, because we'll end you._

"Consider me scared," I said mockingly. The mutt huffed, and then trotted back into the forest.

"Well, that was…interesting," Jasper said.

"What the fuck did he say?" Emmett was annoyed that he even had to ask me to translate.

"He just wanted to know how Bella was, and he told me that Sam wasn't happy about the pregnancy."

"Oh, so in other words, _nothing new_." Emmett said nonchalantly.

"Nope."

"Are you ready to head back, or do you want to hunt some more?" Jasper asked me.

"I guess I could go for a little more. Let's go find some wolves to drain," I smiled at the thought.

"Uh, killing any of the Quileutes would just ignite a war," Jasper said worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah, but we can still find normal wolves and just pretend that they're them."

"I like your style," Emmett said with his hand held towards me in a fist; I just stared at him confused. _Was he trying to throw some sort of strange punch at me?_ "You're suppose to bump your fist to mine."

"Why?" I asked confused.

"It's to show camaraderie….man, I have a lot to teach you. Those Volturi sure did keep you sheltered over there."

"Okay," I said confused, but really not caring enough to ask further.

The three of us took off again, searching for something else to drain. We didn't find any wolves, but Emmett stumbled across a black bear, and Jasper actually caught a wolverine. I studied them as they hunted, and watched their technique. It wasn't that I was still trying to figure it out, it was the fact that one could tell a lot about the way someone hunts. In watching them strike their prey, I could easily see the type of fighters they were.

Emmett went after his bear head on. His best weapon was his brute strength, but he enjoyed the fight. Emmett didn't kill his prey right away; he wrestled with it for a while first, and let the animal land some insufficient blows on him, before he finally killed it.

Jasper was much stealthier. He was a smart, no nonsense kind of hunter, and I knew he would be the same type of fighter as well. He wasted no time with having fun, the way Emmett had, he went straight for the kill.

I could tell that they were both skilled fighters, and having them on my side would be an advantage, if a need for a fight came up.

As they drained their prey, something else caught my attention. It didn't smell anywhere near as good as the worst smelling human I ever encountered, but it definitely smelled better that the stinking elk. I followed the scent to a tree, several yards away. I looked up and saw a mountain lion stalking me from above. _Was I really its intended prey? _I laughed at the thought.

The cat crept closer to me, and the closer it got, the more beautiful I thought it was. He was furtive and cunning; even the muscular structure was quite stunning in a way. He reached the forest floor, and hissed at me aggressively. I thought briefly about how similar the animal was to me in that moment. Like him, I was a predator who stalked my prey, but when I came across a certain kill, the roles were reversed and I lost my life instead. I lost myself completely when I found Bella, but unlike the cat, I was happy to surrender it.

The cat and I both coiled our muscles to spring, and we launched ourselves at the other in unison. It was over quickly, he had no chance. His blood was nowhere near as appetizing as a humans, but it was worlds better than the elk. I was sure that it was the difference between drinking herbivores and carnivores; carnivores, were the closest to human I was going to get.

"Damn, you're a natural," Emmett said after I threw the carcass down.

"You think hunting animals is hard? Try catching a whole bus full of humans vacationing," I said smugly.

"Ah, your first real hunt," Emmett said, ignoring my comment. He then walked over to me and smiled. I saw him doing it in his mind before he actually did it, but his mind wasn't set yet, so I waited. At the last moment, he grabbed me in a headlock, and ruffled up my hair. I ducked out of it quickly, and shoved him hard.

"Oh, we are so on," Emmett said with an excited grin.

We charged at each other, and somehow managed to wrestle to the ground. I had him pinned, but he used his massive size to push me off of him, and into a tree causing it to crash to the ground. I ran back to him and threw him into another tree, and landed on top of him with my foot to this neck.

"I'd say Edward won that one," Jasper decided.

"No way, you called it too soon, I would have had him in the next round," Emmett complained.

"I call them as I see them."

Emmett and I both dusted ourselves off, and once again he held his fist out to me. I understood what he wanted me to do, so I humored him and bumped my fist to his. I never mock fought quite like that before. We used to brawl around a bit in Volterra, but it was more for practice and we all took it very seriously. But fighting with Emmett was actually…fun. The Volturi had fun too, but usually their fun involved ripping others heads off, and finding a good amount of 'fish' to consume.

Jasper and I planned to fight each other at a later time, because I had already been gone too long and I needed to get back to Bella. When we neared the house, I stopped because I could hear Bella talking to Rose, and I didn't want my presence to hinder their conversation.

"What's up?" Emmett asked, confused as to why I had stopped.

"Shh!" I said, so both he and Jasper waited quietly.

"He's planning to kill it, you know," Rose said to her.

"No he won't," Bella said assertively. Jasper and Emmett both gave me an uneasy look as they listened with me.

"I don't know, he sounded pretty determined when he was talking about it."

"I know, I heard him."

"No, you were sleeping, and he was talking pretty quietly," Rose said confused.

"I was faking it, I heard the whole conversation."

"And you're not pissed at him?"

"No, that's just Edward. He's afraid of change and the unknown, but I know he's not going to hurt it."

"How do you know that?"

"Because, he didn't hurt me. He was all about killing me in the beginning too, but he's all talk; he loves me, and he'll love the baby too." Bella was completely confident that my feelings for the thing inside her would change, and as much as I refused to admit it, I knew it was possible that she was right…she was _always_ right. I absolutely hated the thing, but between her feelings for it, and Carlisle's optimism, I could feel my resolution begin to falter.

"Don't get too pissed at Rose, she's just always wanted a baby and I think her desires can get in the way of common sense sometimes," Emmett defended his mate's words.

"I'm not going to rip her head off," I assured him, and then we walked into the house.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Bella asked me enthusiastically. Her whole face lit up when our eyes locked, and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Uh, it was disgusting…but not as bad as I thought." I told her, and she just beamed at me. "How are you feeling?" I walked over to her, and gently pressed my hand to her forehead.

"Ok, just tired."

"Why aren't you sleeping then, and how'd you get downstairs?"

"I just couldn't lay there anymore, so Rose helped me down the stairs. Carlisle wanted to wait until you got back before he started the IV." Bella explained.

"OK, well I guess we should start it then." I said uneasily.

Carlisle walked into the room holding a bag of clear fluid, and he hung it on a metal stick by where Bella was sitting. He opened the sealed needle and placed it on the end table next to the couch.

"Are you ready?" He asked Bella; she nodded so he cleaned her arm with some alcohol, and then put the needle in. She winced, but then her face relaxed as the liquid started flowing into her arm.

I sat next to her on the couch and she leaned into me, so I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," I whispered to her, even though I knew everyone could hear me.

She curled herself into my side, and let her hand slide under my shirt to caress my stomach. "I love you too."

***Please Review***


	15. Ch 14 Two Weeks

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 14 – _Two Weeks_~

EPOV

Another week went by, and though the IV was helping to keep her somewhat hydrated, Bella was still starving to death. Every day, her body would get thinner, but her stomach just got larger. Carlisle would put as much nutrients in the IV as possible, but it wasn't enough to support Bella and the fetus, and she still couldn't eat anything without throwing it back up.

"Ok, enough's enough," I told Bella.

"What?"

"You promised that you'd let me end it if you got too bad, well it's time to end it _now_."

"No. I'm fine, we just need to figure out what the baby needs."

"Bella, the thing is literally sucking the life out of you. It's draining you from the inside, can't you see that?"

"I won't let you kill it, Edward," she said full of determination.

"Bella, I can't lose you…especially not like this."

She grabbed my face in both her hands, and looked deep into my eyes. "You won't," she said with conviction. She let go of my face, but then grabbed my hand and placed it on her rapidly growing stomach. "Do you feel it?"

I clinched my jaw out of frustration, but nodded.

"See? It moves the most when you're around and it can hear your voice. It already loves you."

I shook my head, ready to disagree with her, but she looked at me so intensely that I decided that arguing was futile. It only seemed to stress her out when I spoke negatively about the _fetus_, so I decided to keep my mouth shut on the subject for the time being... at least to her.

"Carlisle, can I speak to you for a moment?" I asked.

"Of course." I followed Carlisle to his office, and shut the door behind me.

"Bella's not going to give this thing up," I told him.

"Yes, I feared this would happen, she has become very attached to it."

"It's killing her, and she's running out of time."

"But we can't force her into an abortion," Carlisle said, knowing that was exactly what I was suggesting.

"Yes, we can."

"Edward, if you take this from her like that, she'll never forgive you. If you think it's best to end the pregnancy early, then you need to convince her to agree to it."

"She'll never consent, especially with Blondie boasting the thing's false appeal all the time. We just need to separate them, and then I'll put Bella to sleep and we'll remove it then. It may take her a while to get over it, but she will eventually, she'll have to."

As if on cue, Rose opened the door and stared us down intently. "I will not allow you two to hurt the baby. For now on, I refuse to leave Bella's side; you want to kill the baby, you'll have to kill me first." Rose said forcefully, and then she flashed back out of the room.

I ran after her but she was already crouched in front of Bella in a defensive position.

"What the hell is going on?" Emmett asked. He must have seen the aggressive expression on my face, so he stood up quickly to barricade himself in front of his mate.

"He's going to knock Bella out, then kill the baby while she sleeps," Rose said bitterly.

My eyes locked to Bella's and she looked absolutely horrified, but worse than that, she looked betrayed. She broke eye contact with me, and turned away before wiping a tear from escaping down her cheek.

"Bella, it's killing you, you're dying. Why don't you understand that?" I said a little too loud. I didn't mean to yell at her, but she just needed to get it through her stubborn head.

"I'm not going to die!" She yelled back at me. "I can handle this Edward, you have to trust me. I will keep myself alive long enough…" She let her words trail off.

"Long enough for what?" I challenged her, even though I already knew her answer.

"Long enough for the baby to be born _healthy_."

I shook my head at her. "You don't even care about surviving this, do you? All you care about is making sure that thing makes its _glorious_ entrance into this world."I said condescendingly.

"No, that's not true. I have no plans on dying, because if I did, then that would mean that _you_ would be left raising this baby without me, and the last thing I want is it growing up to be as big of an _ASS _as you are!"

_Did she really just call _me_ an ass?_

"Well, I hope you realize that if you die, then so does it," I said heatedly.

"Is that a threat?" She asked bitterly.

"No, it's a promise. That thing isn't going to live Bella, so you can either let me kill it now, or you can both die later together." She looked at me shocked that I would say such a thing, and to be honest, so was I. I felt like shit the moment the words came out of my mouth, but I was too stubborn and pig headed to take them back.

Bella started moving around like she was trying to get up, but her lack of strength made it next to impossible.

"Where are you trying to go?" Rose asked her softly, but full of worry.

"Anywhere but here," she said angrily. "I'm not going to just sit here and let him kill _my_ baby."

Rose looked at me, and growled, before turning back to Bella. "Bella, you can't leave, you have no energy and you absolutely need Carlisle to keep you alive until the baby is born."

'_Until the baby is born'? Does Bella even hear that bitch?_

"No, Carlisle wants to kill it too."

"Bella, I will not end the pregnancy without your permission, but I have to agree with Edward. It's gone on too long, and I don't see how you'll even survive long enough for the baby to live after birth. If you don't end it soon, I fear you will both die." Carlisle told her.

"Fine," Rose said, and then went to pick up Bella.

"Babe, what are you doing?" Emmett asked her.

"Carlisle is just as crazy as Edward. I'm going to take Bella somewhere that they can't get to her." Rose said.

I stepped forward and hissed at her, which she returned with an equally vicious hiss of her own.

"Put her down, or I rip you apart. I'll tear you up, piece by fucking piece, and save your beheading for last." I warned her.

"I'd like to see you try." Rose put Bella back down, and she braced herself to fight me.

I was about to laugh at her ridiculous fighting stance, when Emmett grabbed her and pushed her behind him. "I can't let you touch her," he said to me sympathetically. He didn't agree with his mate, but he wasn't about to stand by and watch me kill her either.

"Shut it, Emmett. I can take him out easily," Rose said from behind him.

"OK, ENOUGH!" Bella yelled, so we all stopped and looked at her. "Rose, we can't go anywhere. You said it yourself, I need Carlisle otherwise I really don't have a chance at surviving this, and that means the baby will die too. But I will not get an abortion; not now, not ever. Edward was right when he said that if the baby dies later then so will I, because that's what I've decided." Bella finally looked up at me, and glared with hatred. "Edward, you just stay away from me. I've sat here and listened to all your bullshit for long enough, and I'm _so _done with it. Just leave me the hell alone, and if you want to go back to Italy, then just go. _When_ I'm done with this pregnancy, there's no way I'm leaving with you. I have no desire to live in Italy, and maybe I was willing to go back there for you before, but I'm done living by your rules."

I just stared at her in complete shock. _Did she just break up with me?_

"Bella, I…I'm sorry. I just want what's best for you," I told her weakly.

"No, you just want what's best for _you_," she rebutted.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked pathetically.

"Just…stay away from me," she said forcefully, but her voice broke at the end.

I let my head drop, then took a deep unnecessary breath. "Fine," I said, and then turned and walked out of the house.

I ran at full speed as soon as I passed the tree line, though I had no idea where I was going. I considered going to La Push and starting a battle with the wolves, but I really didn't have much of a desire for it anymore. I then considered going into town and killing her father out of retaliation, but that idea drifted away as quick as it came. I really didn't want to kill anyone in that moment, though dying myself was an intriguing plan. I ran all the way to Seattle and bought a plan ticket on the next flight heading east towards Europe. I wasn't about to hang around the US when _she_ didn't even want me there.

I boarded the plane, and smiled to myself from the idea of returning to my old life in Volterra. Everything got so screwed up since first meeting Bella, that I was actually happy to be rid of her. The nearly two months since I met her, had been like living in the _Twilight Zone _or an alternate universe. Sex with a human, not killing people, running through the forest like a bunch of uncivilized degenerates, and all those ghastly human emotions such as _love_. It was all too much, and so beneath me as a vampire. I was far too good than to waste my eternity being anything less than the demigod that I was.

When I arrived in Tuscany, I looked around at the vastly crowded tourist location, and felt completely alone. I decided that Italy was the last place I could be, so I went back to the airport and hopped on the first plane out of the country. I landed in Russia sometime later, but after a few days of wandering around there aimlessly, I went back to the airport. I arrived in Japan, but like my previous stops, I still couldn't find anything to keep me. I continued east and found myself in Hawaii where I dined on wild boar blood, before I completed my two week long trip around the world and ended where I had started, the US Pacific Northwest. I sat in the Seattle airport for hours, just watching the people walk by and wondering what the hell my purpose was.

"Hey buddy, you need to get moving," an airport security guard said to me. I had been sitting in the same spot for two days, so I guess someone noticed me and complained. I got up, and just started walking at a normal human pace. I walked slowly all night, and the next day I wound up in the woods just outside the Cullen property.

I froze, suddenly terrified at the possibility that Bella could have died sometime during the two weeks that I was gone, but I needed to know either way. As I walked closer, I could hear the weak but steady drumming of the most significant sound in my universe, so I took a thankful deep breath, and cautiously went inside. I stayed quiet because I figured Bella would be sleeping, but as I entered the living room, I was shocked to see her up and walking. Rose was holding her hand, but besides that, she didn't seem to need any additional support.

Bella looked up at me, and our eyes remained locked together for an endless moment. She looked absolutely amazing. She was still frail, and her stomach had at least doubled in size, but the color had returned to her cheeks, and the dark circles under her eyes were faded. As we stared at each other, her face unexpectedly fell, and she started bawling hysterically.

"Why the hell did you have to come back for? She was doing perfectly fine without you," Rose said bitterly to me.

"I..I'm sorry," I said quietly, and then I put my hands out towards Bella. "I'll go, I just needed to see that you were still Ok."

"NO!" Bella yelled between her sobs. "Please don't leave me again."

I didn't even think, I just reacted. I had circled the world, only to return to the one place where I belonged, right in her arms. She grabbed onto me tightly, and I held her as tight as possible without crushing her.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I love you so much," I whispered to her, over and over again. I kept my arms locked around her, but sunk to my knees, basically begging for her forgiveness. She tangled her hands in my hair, and leaned over to press her cheek to the top of my head as she continued to cry.

After a few minutes, she sunk down to be closer to my face, and she curled her body into me. Somehow her lips found mine, and they danced together as if they had been apart for decades as opposed to a couple weeks. The kiss was desperate and full of angst, and as hard as I was trying to restrain myself, I still worried that her lips would be swollen after that kiss, but she never complained.

Our tongues greeted each other blissfully, but then I noticed a definite change there. Not wanting to pull away, I tried to ignore the strange difference in her mouth, but the longer I kissed her, the more prevalent it became. After a few more minutes, she removed her lips from mine, to look at my face.

"I'm so sorry that I told you to leave, I don't ever want you leaving me again. The last two weeks have been awful, I missed you so much, I love you," she murmured.

"No, you had every right to tell me to leave, I was horrible to you, I'm so sorry." I kissed her again, but the change there couldn't be ignored anymore. "Bella, why do you taste like blood?"

"Oh," she laughed once uncomfortably, "I…uh…I've been sort of…drinking it."

"You've been drinking blood?" I asked stunned.

"Yeah, well, after you left, Emmett and Rose started arguing and he mentioned that the baby will probably only want blood after it's born, so Carlisle thought that maybe that's what it needs now. So he gave me some donated blood and I've been drinking it."

"Why do you get human blood and the rest of us have to suffer with stinking animal blood?" I asked in a joking manner.

"Because I'm special," she joked back.

"That you are," I agreed seriously.

She leaned in to kiss me again, and keeping my lips to hers, I wrapped my arms under and behind her so I could stand up and carry her to the couch. I sat, and cradled her on my lap. "So you are actually doing better?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess the baby is a monster," she said sheepishly with a smile.

"But you still won't give it up." I stated. It wasn't a question because I already knew the answer.

"You're a monster, and I still love you."

"True," I agreed.

"Edward, you don't have to be happy about it, but please just don't bring the abortion topic up again. I love this baby, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt it," she said determined.

"You know, for a human, you sure are feisty," I said with a grin.

"Yeah, and I'll kick your ass if you even think about pulling a stunt like killing my baby when I'm sleeping again."

"I won't; for now on, it's your decision. I promise," I said truthfully. I realized during my two week hiatus, that eternity with Bella would really suck if she spent that whole time hating me for killing the baby. Vampires don't forget, and they're definitely not big on forgiveness. I'd probably have to spend forever running for my life, due to her obsessive lust for vengeance.

We spent the rest of the day holding each other. The others pretty much left us alone, except for Carlisle who kept coming to check her, and Rose who was always hovering nearby in case I decided to try to kill the baby after all. Emmett wasn't too far either, because he was worried about a fight breaking out between Rose and me, and Esme was constantly asking if Bella needed anything. I guess they didn't really leave us alone at all, but I hardly noticed any of them. All I cared about was the fact that Bella seemed to be doing better, and for the first time since we realized that she was pregnant, I had hope that she'd survive it.

***Please Review***


	16. Ch 15 SEX

**Finding Heaven**

_A/N: Just a little lemony fun chapter before we get to more serious topics like the birth, Volturi, and Bella's parents._

_Warning: Rated _**M **_for sexual content_

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~Chapter 15 – S*E*X~

**EPOV**

Bella fell asleep while she was curled on my lap, so the voices of the six vampires around the room softened.

"So, is she really doing better?" I asked Carlisle as he gently felt her pulse.

"Yes, the blood has done wonders for her; she has even managed to keep some real food down."

"Really, she ate?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes but…." Carlisle hesitated, and started mentally translating the works of Robert Frost into French.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked frustrated.

He sighed; – _I guess you'll find out sooner or later._

"The blood has not only made Bella stronger, but it has made the fetus stronger as well."

"Ok, what does that mean?"

Carlisle's mind replayed an event that happened days before. Bella was sitting in the living room on the couch, when they all heard a loud crack and then Bella started screaming.

"It broke her bones?" I asked him horrified.

"A couple ribs. I tried to give her some pain medicine, but she refused it. I told her that I doubted the drugs would harm the baby, but she didn't want to risk it," Carlisle explained.

I shook my head, but there was nothing to be done, so I tried to not dwell on it for too long.

"Edward, do you want to take her to the room upstairs so she can sleep better?" Esme asked.

"No way!" Rose yelled. Bella started stirring from the noise, but she quickly settled back to sleep. "He can't be alone with her," Rose said a little more quietly.

"Damn it Rose, I'm not going to try to kill the fetus _again_." I said annoyed.

"Like I'm really going to trust you," she said bitterly.

"Rose, enough," Emmet said forcefully to her. "It's none of your business anyway, it's between him and Bella, so stay out of it." Rose looked at her mate completely appalled, but she actually surprised me and shut her huge fucking mouth.

I realized then, that Rose and Emmett had a similar relationship to mine and Bella's. Rose was bitchy all the time and likes to think that she's the dominant one out of the two, but in reality, when Emmett is stern on something, she backs down. As much as I hated admitting it, I was actually a lot like Rose. I would go around and act like I'm in control of everything, but when all shit hits the fan, Bella is really the one who calls the shots between us, just like Emmett. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that I'd be at the mercy of a female, a _human_ female none the less. Bella completely ruled my world, but she was _always_ stronger than me, right from the beginning.

"Esme, I would really like to take Bella upstairs," I said, then glared at Rose.

"Ok, sweetheart; follow me," Esme said kindly.

I carried Bella up the stairs and laid her on what looked like a new bed in the old media room. I was careful not to jostle her, but as soon as her body touched the warm sheets, she immediately woke up.

"Edward?" She asked groggily.

"It's OK, love. Go back to sleep," I whispered to her.

"Will you stay with me?"

"Yeah." Esme shut the door behind her when she left, so I crawled into the bed with Bella and she rolled to the side so she could rest her head on my chest.

I kissed her hair and started humming to her, but after a while, I realized that she still hadn't fallen back to sleep. I looked down at her, and she giggled when our eyes met.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" I asked her.

"What? I was listening to your humming."

"I was trying to put you to sleep, not keep you awake."

"But it was so pretty that I didn't want to miss any of it."

I smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her. I meant for it to be just a short peck, but she grabbed on to the back of my neck and held me into place. I could have easily broken away, but I didn't want to. Two short little weeks was just too long to be away from her, even though I fully planned on having eternity. She pulled herself closer to me and latched herself to one of my legs, and started rubbing against it provocatively as we kissed.

Even though it was just on my leg, I was automatically aroused and I was having a hard time remembering anything other than the heat radiating off of her.

"Do you want to have sex?" She asked me with a half giggle.

"No," I forced myself to say.

She got a pouty expression on her face. "Why not? Carlisle said we could, if I felt up to it."

"Uh, how about the fact that you are incredibly weak, and you have two broken ribs."

"I'll take the pain," she said with a grin.

"Babe, you are so weak that I could easily kill you."

"You could have _always _easily killed me. Besides, you didn't have a problem with the idea of hurting me, and possibly even killing me, when we first had sex."

"Well, I'm a changed monster since then."

"Oh really, how so?" She asked and then started kissing my neck, causing electric charges over every inch of my body.

"I'm not ruled by blood, or…" she reached her hand down my pants and started rubbing my hardness, "…that" I said as my eyes uncontrollably rolled back.

"Uh huh," she smiled, knowing exactly how much she was torturing me. _I had heard that pregnancy can make a woman horny, but this was ridiculous, she had two broken ribs for crying out loud._

"Bella," I started breathing heavy as she continued to stroke me, despite the fact that I didn't technically need the air.

"I know you can be gentle, and I really just need you _inside_ me right now," Bella said to me, with intensity burning in her eyes as well as between her thighs. Of course I could be gentle; I could caress a soap bubble without popping it if I really wanted to, but making love to Bella was a different story. It was hard to be gentle when all I wanted to do, was pound into her with the forcefulness of an earthquake.

The smell of her arousal was overpowering the room, and unlike with pain and disgusting animal blood, I couldn't think around it. I needed her as much as she said she needed me, and mere resistance was unachievable.

"Tell me if I hurt you," I told her. She smiled and planted her lips to mine while taking my shirt off. After we undressed each other, she rolled onto her back and pulled me over her, and spread her legs so I could position myself between them. "Just don't move around too much, I don't want you straining," I suggested softly.

"I don't care how it's done, just do it!" she said forcefully, but then bit her lip and smiled at me playfully.

It was definitely different than anything we had done before. Not only did I have to hold _all _my weight off her, but we also had to work around her large stomach. The concept was strange at first, but her smell made every other detail seem inconsequential.

I pushed into her slowly, and she tightened her grip on my back. I pulled out, then pushed right back in as gently as I was capable of. I continued with a steady rhythm, until Bella moaned.

"What? Did I hurt you?" I asked worriedly.

"No, don't stop!" She yelled at me, so I immediately continued with my smooth thrusting.

* * *

**EmPOV (Emmett)**

_What the hell? Are they really fucking up there? The girl is only human so she's weak already, but being frail and sick on top of it. _- I had to shake my head at the thought.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, Emmett?" He asked from the other room.

I hesitated, but then I decided against asking my question. "Never mind."

"Hey," the mongrel said as he walked into the house.

"Didn't anyone teach you to knock…or at least claw at the door with your paw or something?" Rose asked him. Some people considered Rose to be a bitch, and she was, but she was an amazing bitch and I wouldn't have her any other way.

"Good afternoon Jacob, how are you today?" Esme greeted the wolfboy, she then handed him a drink without even asking him first. Over the past couple of weeks, we had all just gotten used to having the manimal around. It was actually kind of neat in a way; I never had a pet before.

"Good. I just wanted to stop by and see how Bella is doing. Where is she?" He asked, confused as to why she wasn't on the couch.

"Cronus returned," Rose said bitterly. Though I disagreed with her about her opinion on Edward, I really loved her sexy feistiness.

"Who?" Wolfboy asked confused.

"Cronus was the Greek god who killed his children." Rose explained.

"He didn't kill them Rosalie, he ate them," Esme said, and then got up to do something in the other room.

"Whatever," Rose said under her breath.

"Wait, so Edward came back?" Wolfy asked surprised.

"Yep," Rose said.

"Oh, well is Bella OK; what are they doing up there?" he asked concerned.

"They're fucking," I stated.

"Really?" He said surprised, and a little disgusted.

"Make-up sex," I said while shrugging.

"No, I get it. But is Bella really up for…_that_?" Wolfy asked.

"Yo, Carlisle!" I yelled to him, so he came into the room from the kitchen.

"Yes Emmett?"

"Is Bella up for sex, right now?" I asked him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but as long as _she's_ comfortable and _he's_ gentle, then there isn't a problem with it."

The conversation brought my previous question back to the forefront of my mind.

"Carlisle…how _did_ Bella get pregnant?" I asked uneasily.

Wolfy spit the water out of his mouth, and started cracking up. "Wow Emmett, I had no idea that you still needed the birds and the bees talk," he said between hysterics.

"No, I know how humans reproduce, but how the hell did Edward? I mean, do vampires have, you know…semen?"

Wolfy's laugh just got louder, and he fell to the floor and started rolling around like the dog he is.

"That's actually a good question," Rose defended me.

"Thanks babe," I said then kissed her.

"Well, there hasn't been much scientific experimentation on vampires, but I'd assume it doesn't work much differently than with normal humans," Carlisle said.

"But, I mean we don't exactly have living tissue, so how the hell did he…_come_ to create life?" I asked.

"Well, a fluid similar to the venom in our mouths, works as a lubricant between the cells, which makes movement possible. Similarly, throughout a vampire's body are many versions of venom-based fluids that retain a marked resemblance to the human fluid that was replaced after transformation, and function in much the same way and for the same purpose. The normal reactions of arousal are still present in vampires, made possible by venom-related fluids that cause tissues to react similarly as humans do to an influx of blood. Fluids closely related to seminal fluids still exist in male vampires, which carry genetic information and are _apparently _capable of bonding with a human ovum."

I needlessly scratched the back of my head. "So why didn't the venom based fluids cause her to turn then?"

"Its venom based, but not potent enough to turn someone. They can exchange saliva while kissing as well, and it will not cause the transformation. The venom from the mouth has to go straight into the bloodstream."

"Huh," was all I could say. It was more technical of an answer then I was expecting, and though I completely understood his explanation, it was much less interesting than I was hoping.

"Well of all the vampires who could have reproduced, why the hell did it have to be Edward? He's a complete ass," Rose said, then got up and started walking towards the stairs.

"Rose, where are you going?" I asked her.

"I'm just going to make sure that he's not trying anything. It's awful that all of you are Ok with him being alone with her, after what he wanted to do."

"Babe, that huffing and moaning isn't from her being in pain. I think she's really enjoying the kind of penetration he's doing to her right now." As disturbing as it was, I couldn't help but laugh at myself; I was fucking hilarious. Even the wolf-pup started laughing with me, and I had to admit, I was actually starting to like the mutt. "Man, I can't wait until she's a newborn and she has to be careful with him for a change. There's going to be a lot of hard fucking after that. Esme better start on designs for their own place before they bust this house down." The mutt was turning blue from laughing so hard.

The mating upstairs stopped after a while, and they came down a few hours later. Edward was carrying Bella, who had a glowing expression on her face.

"Get a good fucking, Bella?" I teased her. Her face darkened with a rush of blood under her cheeks. _Ha, I embarrassed her._

"Hey Emmett, fuck off," Edward said to me.

"No way, it's too fun to see her blush."

"So Emmett, Carlisle said that I'm going to be even stronger than you after I'm turned," Bella said unexpectedly.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, if you don't keep your mouth shut about my sex life, then I rip your fucking dick off. How do you think you'll keep Rose satisfied when you don't have a cock to screw her with anymore?"

_Holy fucking shit._ Everyone started cracking up then, even Rose; how the hell did _she _find that funny?

"You are really going to be one badass newborn, I can't wait," I said to her seriously.

Bella laughed for a few moments with everyone, and then suddenly her face fell serious. "I'm not joking, so don't mess with me."

I unintentionally let my hand drop to cup my penis defensively, and Bella started laughing again.

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***Note: Carlisle's vampire anatomy lesson was directly taken from Stephenie Meyer's web site. You can find her explanation of the venom based fluid at her wb site under BD faqs**

/bd_

**Thanks, and please ****Review*******


	17. Ch 16 Family

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 16 –_Family_~

EPOV

Emmett was right about one thing, Bella was going to be on bad ass newborn; _I'm even afraid of her_.

The next week went by slowly. Despite drinking blood and being able to eat a little, Bella was still getting weaker by the day. We weren't sure when exactly she got pregnant, because we had been having sex for a while before we even left Volterra, and Bella wasn't sure when her last period was. However, Carlisle had been tracking her growth, and estimated that every week that went by in her pregnancy, was equivalent to a month in a normal pregnancy, and by measuring her size, she must have been between seven and eight weeks along.

"We're getting close," Carlisle said after measuring her.

"How much longer?" Bella asked anxiously.

"I'd say another week, or two. I need to go use my medical connections to purchase some more blood from another hospital. I've already reached my quota here and in Vancouver, so I'll see if I can get some more from Oregon."

"Wait, you're leaving?" I asked in a panic.

"I'll only be gone for a couple of days. Bella may need more blood during the cesarean, and we have no idea what the baby will need. It would be best to have as much as possible so that we're ready for any outcome."

"What if something happens while you're away?"

"Everything will be fine, and I'll be as quick as I can. I'll have my cell phone on at all times, so if anything happens whatsoever, just call me and I'll be back in a flash."

Carlisle left an hour later, and Esme went with him. With so many vampires in a single house, I didn't think that having two less vampires around would have made much of a difference, but not having them there made me feel uneasy and paranoid.

"What, what's wrong?" I asked Bella alarmed.

"Uh, I just adjusted my shirt," she said slowly, knowing I was freaking out about every little thing. "Just relax, Edward."

"I can't, vampires don't relax," I told her.

"Ok then, just chill."

"We have a problem," Jasper said as he came into the house.

"What?" I jumped up ready to fight off any kind of threat.

"Edward calm down, it's not that kind of problem," Alice said slightly annoyed.

"Oh right…well, what is it then?" I asked.

"This," Jasper said then handed me a paper. I looked at it and it was yet another missing person's flyer for Bella. "They're all over town."

"What is it?" Bella asked from the couch where she was sitting.

_Are you going to tell her?_ – Jasper thought.

I considered it for a minute, but then turned to Bella and showed her the flyer.

"Oh…I wonder why they're here though. I disappeared from Phoenix, not Forks."

"They're in Phoenix too, but someone saw you boarding a plane so they thought you may have tried to go home," Alice explained.

"Well, I doubt my dad would ever come _here _looking for me," Bella said, but she still seemed tense.

"Your dad isn't the real worry here. If the Volturi have started looking for you, then these flyers could be brought to their attention, plus I'm sure your disappearance has gone viral as well," Jasper told her.

"What do we do?" Bella asked concerned.

"I'm watching Aro's decisions, so if he decides to send anyone after us, we'll know," Alice said.

"But if you can watch his decisions, then why can't you see if he knows that Edward is gone yet?" Bella her.

"I'm not a mind reader. If only we could combine my and Edward's abilities, we'd be unstoppable. But I have no way of knowing Aro's thoughts, I can only see his future actions, and right now there's nothing in his future about sending someone after Edward."

"Edward, I think I should at least call my dad to let him know that I'm OK. Maybe he'll stop with all the flyers."

"It's too late, they're already out there," I told her.

Alice's face went blank, and everyone waited quietly for her vision to pass, but I watched it with her.

…

"_What do you mean she's missing, you said she went back to Forks?" Renee asked Phil._

"_She left a note at the house saying she was going back to be with Charlie, but he called and said that she hadn't contacted him in a while. Look, I didn't want to say anything before because it wasn't my business and I knew you'd just worry, but she had a guy staying with her."_

"_A guy? Was he a big Native American boy?" Renee asked._

"_No, he had sort of reddish hair, tall, lean. His name was Edmund…no wait Edward."_

_Renee became very worried. "Did he look like this?" She asked and held up a sketching of…me_. SHIT!

…**.**

"Alice, I thought you said she wouldn't remember me."

"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate, Edward." Alice's mind went right back to the vision.

…

"_Yes, that's him._ _So, you know him then?"_ _Phil asked her._

"_I thought I dreamed it, so I drew him just to get the image out of my head…but it wasn't a dream."_

"_Renee, what's going on?" Phil asked her concerned._

"_He was there…in Italy…he was the one who saved me from my captors."_

"_Bella's boyfriend saved you?" He asked her confused._

"_He's her boyfriend?"_

"_Yeah, well I thought so at the time, but…"_

"_But what?"_

_He sighed. "But, now that I look back at it, she almost seemed afraid of him. Oh God, now she's missing and I could have prevented it. Renee, I'm so sorry."_

"_It's not your fault, but now we need to think. Did they say anything to you at all; did Bella give you any kind of sign that she was being threatened?"_

"_She just looked worried. Every move he'd make, she would watch him carefully, and when he asked me to stay for breakfast, she started freaking out and tried to come up with a bunch of excuses why I shouldn't stay. Then at one point, she ran out of the room and started throwing up in the bathroom. Edward told me she had the flu and that I should go and tell you that she won't be in to visit that day. But I haven't seen her since, and that was weeks ago; I read her note and just didn't give it a second thought."_

"_Phil, she's in trouble, I can feel it."_

"_Charlie has already called the police here."_

"_No, I really believe that the police can't help with this."_

"_What does that mean?" Phil asked confused._

"_I need to find a tracker."_

…_**.**_

"That's it? That's the end of the vision?" I asked Alice frustrated.

She shrugged. "I can't force the visions, they come when they come."

"What was it?" Emmett asked irritated.

"What the hell did she mean about finding a tracker?" I asked troubled.

"Who's finding a tracker?" Emmett started getting angrier that we were ignoring him.

"She's going to go searching for a vampire. Edward, that's not going to end well," Alice said.

"What's going on?" Bella asked after staying quiet for a few minutes.

I turned to her and kneeled down in front of where she was sitting. "It's your mom."

"My mom? Is she Ok, what happened, they said that she was going to make a full recovery?"

"Calm down, love. She's fine, but she wants to find a vampire to help her look for you. She knows that you're with me, and she's figured out _what_ I am."

"Wait, she's looking for a vampire?"

"She knows that the police can't do anything to find you, so she's going to try to find a tracker. She thinks that I took you against your will, so she's going to stop at nothing to bring you home."

"Edward, a vampire will kill her."

"I won't let that happen," I assured her.

"What are you going to do?"

"Alice?" I asked.

"She won't believe us. When Jazz and I took her to the hospital, she was already unconscious."

"Ok, so tell me why she remembers me, when you said she wouldn't?" I asked exasperated.

She shrugged, "It's not an exact science."

I looked back at Bella and considered my options. I couldn't let Renee try to find a vampire to help her, because even if she somehow managed to find one who wouldn't kill her, that vampire could go to the Volturi. If Alice and Jasper went to talk to her, but refused to tell her any specifics, then she'll still go looking for a tracker.

"Bella…if I go talk to Renee myself, I can convince her that you're Ok and be back before the end of the day. Are you ok with me being gone for that long?"

"Do you really think you can get her to back off?"

"I'll find a way."

"Ok, hurry back to me," she said uneasily.

"Bella, if you don't want me leaving…"

"No, I want you to go talk to her, but I'm just worried about her."

I kissed her passionately, and went to grab my fake ID upstairs, when Rose cornered me.

"I don't have time for your shit," I told her, and went to walk around her but she stopped me.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize."

"Apologize? Is the fucking world ending?" I asked surprised.

"This isn't easy for me, so could you just be quiet for just a minute. I'm sorry for the hateful way that I've acted towards you. I can see that you really love Bella, and I know you are just worried about her, so it was wrong of me to try to fight you away from her. I know what it's like to want a child and to have someone take that possibility away from me, and as unbelievable as it sounds, I just didn't want her to go through that too. I don't know Bella that well, but I wouldn't want to wish the loss of a child on anybody. No matter what happens and where you decide to go afterwards, you're my brother and I don't want to fight with you anymore."

Rose's 'brother' comment threw me for a moment. "I'm not your brother," I said confused as to why she would say that.

"Well not by blood like you and Alice, but the truth is that none of us have _any_ of our own blood anymore. We may not have the same human parents, but we are both from the same creator and so we have the same venom."

"So you're saying that we're siblings and Carlisle is our father because he created us?"

"Well, yeah."

"So by your definition of siblings, Esme is our sister as well, and Emmett is our brother. I fully plan on turning Bella myself, so does that make her my daughter?" I chuckled a bit. "That's kind of sick, if you think about it."

"Ok, you're right, forget about the family venom thing. But the truth is that Carlisle is like a father to all of us…except Esme, and he's always loved you as his son, so if only through him, we're related. I just really hope that you and Bella decide to stay with us after the baby is born, and I'd hope for that even if there was no baby." Rose said sincerely.

"You know, I've never understood vampires who claimed to have human types of relationships, like siblings and parents, hell even friends, but I guess I can see why you and the other Cullens would feel that way about each other. For me however, I just can't picture spending eternity living like a human when I know that I'm not."

"So, you're still planning on taking Bella back to Italy, even though she wants to stay with us? And I know you don't like talking about the baby, but what will you do if everything is OK with it?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do right now, but either way, if we stay it would just put all of you in danger. The Volturi will come for me if I don't go back; it may not be for a while, but they'll definitely come sooner or later."

"We would all be willing to stand up for you, because that's what families do."

"And we would _all _die. Rose, I can't ask any of you to give up your lives for me."

"Well, you don't have to decide anything right now. I hope everything goes alright in Phoenix for you and you can hurry back, I know Bella needs you." With that, Rose flashed back down the stairs. It was a strange encounter, and it actually confused me a bit. Rose's mind has always been full of resentment, but as she spoke, I could hear that she meant every word.

I finished grabbing what I needed, and then went to give Bella a kiss goodbye and tell her that I loved her. The flight was far too long and every minute that I spent away from Bella, just made me more and more anxious. I had my phone and I called her the minute I landed, but it didn't do much to calm my nerves. Not only was I gone, but so was Carlisle and I hated leaving her so vulnerable.

Alice said that Renee would be at home, but I only had a short window because she planned on leaving to search for a vampire to help her. I actually really admired Renee. She was insane in her mission, but she was fearless when it came to her only daughter.

I arrived at the house, and I knew that I had made it in time because I could smell both Renee and Phil inside, as well as hear them. I knocked tentatively at the door and listened as they whispered to each other that they weren't expecting anyone.

Phil finally opened the door, and when he saw me, I was worried that he was going to wet himself or maybe just faint.

_Oh my god, it's the vampire, he's really here. He must have killed Bella and now he's come to kill us too_. – Phil had a normal human reaction to standing in front of a deadly creature, unlike his girlfriend and her daughter. His mind briefly went over Renee's explanation about vampires and her time in Italy, and he was absolutely terrified of me.

"Hello Phil, nice to see you again," I said with a friendly smile. I didn't smile too widely because I didn't want to scare him even more by exposing my teeth.

"Wha…what…tt….can I….what d..d..do…you…wa…want?" He asked, completely trembling. I actually felt bad for the guy.

"I just need to speak to Renee….it's about Bella, of course."

"Who's at the door, honey?" Renee asked from the living room.

I raised my brow at Phil, and finally he moved to the side without saying a word. I smiled at him again and nodded as I walked past him into the house.

"Oh my," Renee said quietly when she saw me, and then she stood up immediately. "Where's Bella?" Despite her unease with having me in such close proximity to her, she spoke to me forcefully and full of determination.

"She's safe," I said to her, while I looked her in the eye so she could see my honest intentions.

"Where is she, how do I know she's safe?"

"I don't mean to scar you, but why would I come here and lie? I have no reason to pretend she's alive when she's not. You obviously know what I am, and you know that the police can't do anything to me, so I have nothing to worry about if I did kill her."

"I do know what you are, and that's how I know that my daughter isn't safe. I've prayed every night that Bella was already dead, just so she wouldn't have to suffer what I suffered through. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES FOR A MOTHER TO WISH HER DAUGHTER WAS DEAD?" She yelled at me in tears.

"I'm sorry for your pain, but I promise you that Bella isn't…." I let my words trail off. I couldn't swear that Bella wasn't suffering, because I knew damn well that she was. I hated what James did to Renee, but when I really thought about it, I wasn't much different after all. I wasn't drinking Bella's blood causing her to become emaciated and frail, but my demon seed was. Bella was pregnant because of me, and if she didn't survive, I would be solely responsible for her death.

"Where is my daughter?" she asked when she realized that I wasn't going to finish my sentence.

"She's…." _Shit, I really didn't think this all the way through._

"If you're not going to tell me where she is, then why the hell did you come here?"

"I…" _what the hell _was_ I doing there?_ I couldn't tell her that my precognitive sister saw her going to a tracker, and I couldn't honestly tell her that Bella was Ok, and even if I lied, she would still try to find her. _SHIT!_

"If you aren't here to kill us, then please, _please_, tell me where my daughter is. I don't know how, or why, but I know that you saved me from the other vampires in Italy. Please just let my baby go."

"I can't do that."

"Why?" She asked hopelessly.

"Bella's not my prisoner, but I can't let her go either. She's as safe as she can be and she's with my family, but she's not strong enough to leave." _What the hell, did I just describe the Cullens as my 'family'? Stupid animal blood making me soft._

"How weak is she?" Renee's mind went back over her experience with James, and she pictured Bella being physically weak like she was.

"No one is drinking her blood. She's not in any danger of anyone feeding on her, but she is very sick and I can promise you that we are doing everything we can for her." It was only a partial lie. The fetus was feeding on her, but since it wasn't technically born yet, I decided to dismiss it...at least to her.

"Why is she sick?" Renee didn't believe that Bella wasn't being fed on, but she was going to go along with what I said, hoping that I'd tell her more.

"Because she's pregnant." _Ok, what the fuck was wrong with me. All this honesty shit was really screwing everything up._

Renee was shocked and confused, and frankly, so was I. I had absolutely no control of myself, and if I was still an active member of the Volturi guard, I'd rip my fucking head off.

"I don't understand, how could she be pregnant, and if she is then why do _you_ have her?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. It didn't matter if she knew the truth anyway, Renee was fully aware of the vampire world, so she was already on the Volturi hit list.

"The baby is mine. Bella and I are…" _mates? _I never thought of Bella as my mate before. Vampire mating relationships were so different than what I had with Bella. Mates were more animalistic and physical, where Bella and I had a deeper love which I had never seen displayed with vampire mates' physicality, or in their thoughts of each other. What I felt for Bella could best be explained by romantic sonnets and poets such as Shakespeare, though none of which still even came close to my reality with her.

I started realizing exactly how Bella's presence in my eternity had changed me. The vampire who didn't want a mate and didn't understand human relationships, was slowly disappearing. What I had with Bella, wasn't a vampire mated pair, it was a very intensely _human_ love.

"How could the baby be yours? I've done a lot of research, and I've never read anything…"

"Trust me, it's mine. She's already almost full term and she's only been pregnant for several weeks." I explained.

_Oh my sweet Bella, she's probably so horrified. I can't believe this disgusting creature raped her. I'd take being fed on every day for the rest of my life, over her being brutally raped and impregnated by some demon creature_. – Besides the rape thing, Renee had very similar thoughts on the subject as I had.

"I know you have no reason to do me any favors, but you obviously came here for a reason. If Bella is really sick and pregnant, then she needs her mother. Please take me to her. You can kill me after, but I just need to see her though this, or whatever you have planned for her."

I thought about it for a moment, and decided _what the hell_. Renee would be killed by the Volturi anyway, whether I brought her to see Bella or not, and I knew that Bella would want to see how good her mother was doing. I'm sure Renee didn't look completely like her old self, but it was a vast improvement from the last time I saw her at least.

"Yeah, you can come see her."

Renee was absolutely stunned that I agreed. Her thoughts grazed over the possibility that I could be luring her to her death, but her desire to see Bella was so strong that if there was the slightest chance that I was being honest, she was going to take it.

Both Renee and Phil were nervous on the flight to Washington. I explained to her where we were going, and she was happy that Bella was close to her father, even if he didn't know it and never could. Charlie was still ignorant to the supernatural, and he needed to stay that way.

"Am I really going to get to see Bella?" Renee asked mid flight.

"If I planned on killing you, I would have done it already."

"So, why did you save me from the other vampire? I don't remember everything, but I remembered your face and that you spoke to me, though the words were jumbled up in my head. I knew you were a vampire too, because only a vampire could kill a vampire." Renee spoke quietly, because she knew the importance of keeping other humans ignorant.

"I knew you were Bella's mother."

"Wait, you knew Bella _before_ I was rescued?"

"Yeah, I've known her for a few months."

Renee was upset, and even angry at Bella. She realized that Bella must have gone looking for her like she asked her _not_ to do, and on top of that, Bella didn't say anything to her all the times she visited her in the hospital.

"Why did you allow her to visit me? Weren't you worried that she'd tell me about you?"

"I didn't _let _Bella do anything. I told you, she's not my prisoner and she's free to do what she wants. It just so happens that one of the vampires there is a doctor, and he's taking care of her."

"A vampire doctor?"

"Yes, and trust me, I was just as surprised as you are."

We arrived in Seattle and Alice must have seen us coming, because she was waiting for us at the airport.

"Does Bella know that they're coming too?" I asked Alice.

"Nope, you didn't decide until you actually got on the plane; besides, I wanted it to be a surprise." She went over to Renee and hugged her. "I'm Alice, by the way."

Renee was uncomfortable with Alice hugging her, but she was more surprised at how human-like Alice seemed to be. Phil was still terrified, but the fact that he was there, proved how deep his emotions went for Renee.

The car ride was quiet and heavy with tension, but of course for a mind reader, it was never louder than when people didn't speak. I tuned out the human minds in the car, because they were just full of worry and fear, and I couldn't listen to it anymore. Alice saved my sanity by replaying everything I missed with Bella for the several hours that I was gone for, and the day was thankfully uneventful.

We pulled up to the house and as we got out, I could hear the peaceful drumming of the most significant sound in my universe, Bella's heartbeat. I didn't wait for the slow humans like Alice did, I just sped in and wrapped Bella in my arms.

"You're here," Bella said happily after taking a moment to realize that I had appeared with my head in her lap.

"I missed you so much, are you Ok?"

"Yeah, come here," she said, so I lifted my head so I could kiss her lips.

I heard and smelled the humans come into the room as Bella's lips greeted mine, but I held the kiss a few seconds longer, because I selfishly wasn't ready to give her up just yet. I hated spending time away from her, and even though it was only a few hours, it was almost as bad as the weeks we were apart before.

"Bella." Renee whispered after a moment of shockingly seeing her daughter making out with a vampire.

"Mom?" Bella shot me a brief surprised glance, then I backed away so her crying mother could run to her and hug her tightly. The women both cried, and as Renee held her and whispered loving words to her, Bella looked at me and mouthed '_thank you'_ and '_I love you so much'_.

* * *

***What did you think? Please let me know in the reviews***


	18. Ch 17 Ours

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 17 – _Ours_~

BPOV

I never thought I'd see either of my parents again, so when my mom came through the door, I thought I was going to explode from happiness. Edward was absolutely amazing, and even though he talked like an ass a lot of the time, I could feel how much he loved me and his actions continue to prove it. I was upset when he sent me away from Italy with Charlie, but I understood why he did it, and then he saved my mom, and the fact that he actually brought her back with him, just proved it yet again.

My mom pulled back out of the hug, to look me in the face and wipe the tears from my cheeks. "Bella." I could tell that she had so much to say to me, but she glanced around the room uneasily at the five vampires who were all still as statues.

"Guys, can I have some time alone with my mom and Phil?" I asked, and my mom looked horrified that I spoke to them so casually, and then she was even more stunned when they all agreed and left the house. Edward lingered for a minute, I knew he missed me all day, just as I missed him, but he decided to leave as well.

Renee looked at me questionably. "They just do as you ask them?"

"Mom, the Cullens aren't normal vampires. They don't kill people and they're all really nice."

"They don't kill people?"

"No, they drink animal blood."

"I never read such a thing."

"There's hardly anything that's accurate about vampires in literature."

Renee's eyes grew bigger than I ever saw them before when she saw my large stomach start to move in front of her. "Bella?" she said, sounding out of breath.

"I know, I'm huge."

"I just saw you a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, but Carlisle thinks I was already pregnant then. He guesstimates that I got pregnant a few weeks before I left Italy."

"Who's Carlisle?...Wait, Bella, why did you go to Italy when I specifically asked you not to in my letter?"

"I couldn't just sit here and wonder for the rest of my life. I needed to know, without a doubt, whether or not vampires were real, and if that's why you really disappeared. You could have been kidnapped and forced into the sex slave industry for all I knew, and in that case, I could have found someone to help me find you."

"So, at what point did you realize that I was telling you the truth?"

"I slowly started believing it, but when I went to Italy after graduation, I couldn't find anything whatsoever, so I was about to give up. I went to Volterra one last time, and that's where I met Edward…well technically I met Edward in Florence, but I spent more time with him in Volterra."

"Bella, why didn't you try to get away after you first met him?"

I shrugged, "I didn't know _what_ he was when we first met, and…I mean, did you actually look at him? He's hot."

"No, vampires are cold, ice cold."

"Yeah, but you know what I mean, he's absolutely gorgeous and I just had an instant connection with him."

"An instant connection with a vampire?" she said incredulously.

"Mom, he loves me too," I said quietly.

"You love him?" She said in disbelief.

"Yes, and he didn't force me into anything," _except captivity in Volterra, but she didn't need to know that_, "I got pregnant because I _wanted _to have sex with him."

She shook her head and started crying again, but she fought it off and tried to regain control. "Bella, if you really are free to go, then let me get you out of here. I'll find a doctor who can help you take that thing out…"

"Mom stop. I'm not going to let anyone hurt my baby, and I'm not leaving here. Carlisle is a doctor, and he's going to help me through this. You haven't met him yet because he's away trying to get supplies that I may need when the baby's born, but you'll see when you meet him, I'm in the best possible hands."

"Bella, when babies are born, there's a lot of blood and…"

"He wasn't just a doctor in his human life, he's a doctor now, and he works in the ER with blood all around him. He's even a surgeon and he's never drank human blood."

There was a sudden crack, and then an onslaught of agonizing pain in my lower abdomen, so I uncontrollably screamed out. Edward was back by my side in an instant, and he was followed in by the rest of the vampires.

"Bella, it's Ok." He tried soothing me, but I buried my face into his shirt and tried to hold the pain in.

"Where's the break?" Rose asked.

"Carlisle has the x-ray machine upstairs." Jasper said.

"Where does it hurt, love?" Edward asked me.

"Here," I pointed just below my abdomen.

"It's her pelvis." Emmett said full of concern.

"What's going on?" Renee asked terrified.

"The fetus is too strong for her human body, so it keeps breaking her bones as it kicks and moves around," Edward explained.

"What is it?" Renee asked, but Edward already scooped me in his arms and was carrying me up to the x-ray machine.

The pain was already receding, but Edward said that there was definitely a crack in my pelvis.

"I guess this means no more sex?" I asked disappointed.

He laughed once, "Definitely no more." I couldn't be sure, but I think he was even relieved that I couldn't force him to have sex with me anymore; I knew it always worried him.

He carried me down the stairs and placed me back on the couch gently. There was nothing to be done about my broken bones, they were all in places that couldn't really be cast, and I refused to take pain medication, because Carlisle couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't hurt the baby.

"Bella, are you Ok?" Renee asked me warily, but she kept glancing at Emmett worriedly, and he'd just smile at her exposing all of his razor sharp teeth.

"Yeah mom, it just hurts sometimes, but that's just because _my baby is getting so strong_." I started talking in a baby voice at the end. I seemed to always use that annoying tone whenever I talked to my stomach, but I partly did it to irritate Emmett, I loved when he would role his eyes and leave the room.

"Hey guys…" Jacob walked into the house, and he froze when he saw Renee and Phil there.

"Jacob, you're here too?" Renee asked surprised, and even more worried. She didn't know Jake very well, but she knew him enough to know that he was my _human_ best friend, in other words, she didn't know _anything_.

"Yeah well, I like to annoy Barbie and Rambo Ken over there."

"Hey, you know who Rambo is? See, I knew I couldn't have been the only one," Edward said suddenly.

"Dude, Rambo is awesome; of course, I like him a little less now that Emmett reminds me of him." Jake said, and Emmett flipped him off.

Renee and Phil just sat there, completely shocked at the playful banter between the different species. They didn't know that Jake was a werewolf, but they knew for sure that he wasn't a vampire.

"Hey-a, Edward?" Jake asked.

"Yeah?"

"Um, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Renee was sitting on the opposite side of the room, and Edward had returned to his spot sitting on the ground by me, so Jake just squatted down next to him to talk, not caring if I was in hearing range.

"Um, I may be wrong, but I don't think that Renee and her boyfriend would be a good choice for the fetus's….uh, _baby's_ first meal." I yelled at Jake a few days earlier for calling my baby a fetus, it was a baby and it deserved to be considered one. Edward was the only one I ignored when he said that, because I knew it was hard for him and I really didn't want to push the subject.

"You're right. They'll have to leave when the fetus comes out," Edward agreed with Jake.

"No, I want my mom to stay," I protested.

"Love, we have no idea what the thing will want to drink after it's removed, so it would be best to keep all humans away."

"It's perfectly normal for a woman to want her mom when she _gives birth_ to her _baby_, and I know my mom will be fine."

"It's just not safe."

"Well, it's _my_ mom and _my baby_, so I get to decide." I refused to call the baby 'ours' to Edward, until he showed some kind of fondness for it.

I almost laughed because both Edward and Jake shook their heads at me simultaneously, in a disagreement of my decision, but they didn't argue with me any further on the subject.

"Hey, your eyes are lightening." I said to Edward as our eyes were locked.

"Stupid fucking animal blood," he said, but smiled. "How the hell am I supposed to be intimidating in Volterra with golden eyes?"

"Volterra? When are you planning on going there?"

"After you're turned," he said confused as to why I was upset.

"Edward, I told you that I don't want to go back there, I want to stay here with the Cullens. Esme has a bunch of plans for the baby's room, and Rose is helping me with all the shopping for baby supplies. I won't bring this baby anywhere near those monsters in Volterra, and I'm definitely not going anywhere without the baby."

Edward looked up and glanced at Rose for a moment then he looked back at me. "Bella, if we stay, then the Volturi will come."

"Ok fine, I'll go back and show them that I'm no longer human, so no longer a threat to them, and they'll leave us alone. You said before, that they would let us go if they knew that I wasn't human, right?"

"Ok, there is no way that I'm going to let you go back to Volterra alone, and why would you anyway?"

"Well you said that Aro can see into the mind with just a single touch, but _you_ can't hear my thoughts, so I figured that maybe he won't be able to either, so he won't learn about the baby."

"It's too dangerous."

"You keep saying that, and I keep proving you wrong."

"We'll discuss it more later. Your mom is watching us intently, and she's both confused and impressed that you can speak to me so forcefully," he whispered.

"Renee, Phil, is either of you hungry?" Rose asked them.

Phil jumped a little from Rose's close proximity, but then he settled down and they both shook their heads no.

"Oh come on," Jake said to them, "these vamps are actually really good cooks, even Barbie."

"No, thank you," Renee said.

"Fine, suit yourself, but I'm starving. How about some more steak?" he asked Rose.

She smirked then got up and went to the kitchen. She came back in less than a minute, and handed him a bowl of raw meat. "I don't cook for mutts anymore, so if you want it, go cook it yourself or eat it raw."

"Rose, if Esme knew you were treating a guest in her house like that…" Alice started to say.

"He's not a guest; he's the family pet dog." Rose said, but Edward cleared his throat loudly at her, and gestured to my mother who had no idea what Jacob was.

"Sorry," Rose said quietly.

"Whatever, I don't mind cooking, it's a great cut of meat no matter who cooks it. What about you Bella, are you hungry?"

"Maybe I could go for some eggs," I said and looked at Edward suggestively.

"They'll be done in just a minute," he said with a smile and kissed me on the nose before going to the kitchen. "Yo Jake, toss it over here, I'll cook it up for you."

"Thanks man," Jake said and then tossed the meat across the room, which Edward caught easily.

"Awe how cute, you're playing catch with the mutt. But usually he's supposed to be the one who catches," Emmett said to Edward. Rose elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up in front of Renee and Phil.

"What? Oh come on," Emmett said to Rose. "Renee and Phil already know about vampires, why not let them in on werewolves too? If one monster exists, then I'm sure that they can assume for themselves that others do as well."

"What werewolf?" Phil asked frightened.

"Mutt boy over there," Emmett pointed at Jacob, who shot deadly glare at Emmett, but then smiled tentatively at my mom and Phil.

"Jacob, you're a wer…werewolf?" Renee asked shocked.

"Yeah, and trust me, werewolves are way cooler than stinking vampires."

"But aren't werewolves and vampires like mortal enemies?" Phil asked.

"Definitely, I hate these bloodsuckers,"

"The feeling's mutual," Rose said quickly.

"But, you're not fighting and trying to kill each other?"

"Nah, it's much more fun to just harass each other. Don't get me wrong, I've killed my fair share of vampires, but the Cullens are veggie vamps so I don't see any point in killing them, if they don't kill humans."

"So you don't kill humans either?" Phil asked Jake uneasily.

"No way, our whole reason for existing is to protect humans from vampires, and we don't need a full moon to do it."

"You mean, you can transform at anytime?" Phil was actually interested in the whole thing.

"Sure, do you want to see?"

Phil shook his head no, but said "yes."

They went outside and after five minutes, they came back in but Phil looked a little green. "Excuse me, is there a bathroom here? I think I'm going to be sick."

"Straight down the hall," Jasper told him, and he took off running.

"I always have that type of reaction on people," Jake said with a smirk.

Edward brought the perfectly cooked food to me and Jake, and though I couldn't eat much, it tasted so good going down. He also brought me a cup of blood, but it wasn't clear and had a lid and straw so my mom couldn't see what I was drinking. As good as the eggs tasted, the blood was better, even if I'd never admit it out loud. Carlisle said that the body craves what it needs, and I definitely craved the blood, so I knew that my baby must need it.

After a couple bites of the egg, I pushed the plate to the side and settled with just drinking. As the hours past, my mom became more and more comfortable around all the vampires, she even came and sat next to Edward so she could be closer to me.

"What are you drinking?" Renee asked me.

"Um, it's just a power drink to help with the baby."

"It smells like…blood."

Before I could answer her, the baby moved in a way that hurt intensely, so I winced and held my breath.

"Are you Ok?" Edward asked worriedly.

"Yeah, there's just not much room in there for the little guy to stretch."

Edward got very quiet for a moment, then slowly leaned down to lightly press his ear to my stomach.

"What?" I asked.

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Rose asked anxiously.

"Shh!" he hushed her. "I can hear it."

"You can hear the baby, OH, MY GOD!" I yelled, but then the baby jerked inside of me.

"Shh, you scared it." Edward said softly to me.

"What is it thinking?" I asked quietly.

"It…it's…_happy_," Edward said surprised.

"Of course it's happy, it's all safe and warm," I cooed, falling in love with it all over again.

"It's very strange, it doesn't have thoughts in words or pictures, but it's definitely full of emotions, and it absolutely adores you," Edward said to me. "Oh, it likes the sound of my voice too."

"Of course it does, you have the most amazing voice in the world." I started crying as I watched Edward's hard exterior start to melt. I could see it in his face as well as feel it radiating off of him, he was falling in love with the baby, and at that moment, it wasn't 'mine' anymore, it was_ ours_.

"What's going on?" Renee asked.

"Edward can hear the baby's thoughts," I explained through my tears.

"How can he do that?"

"Many vampires have extra abilities," Alice said.

"Like trackers?" Renee deduced.

"Exactly. Edward can read minds, I can see the future, and Jasper can control emotions."

"Oh, wonderful," Renee said horrified, she must have had some thoughts that she wished Edward didn't hear.

"The baby is actually starting to understand certain words that we say, and it somewhat understands what is hurting you, so it's going to try not to move around so much," Edward said to me.

"Oh no baby, you move around as much as you need to keep yourself comfortable," I told my stomach while I rubbed it.

"See, I knew it wasn't some devil child," Rose said triumphantly.

"Shh!" Edward hushed her again, "it can hear you."

"Sorry," she whispered. "So, Bella, have you thought about any names yet?"

"Uh, well, I've been thinking about that for a while. I really think it's a boy, so I really like EJ."

"EJ?" my mom asked confused.

"Yeah well, I want to name him after Edward."

"What does the J stand for?" Rose asked.

"Jacob? Awe thanks Bella." Jake said.

"Uh, no. Why the hell would I name my baby after you…no offense."

"None taken, but damn, tell me how you really feel."

"All I'm saying is that I'd name him after my dad or even Carlisle before I named him after you. I love you, just not that much."

"I'll say it again, _damn_."

"Oh shut up, you're not offended."

"So, what does the J stand for?" Rose asked again.

"Junior, of course. His name will be Edward Anthony Masen Jr.….EJ for short."

"And what if it's a girl?" Renee asked.

"I was thinking something like either Carlie, or Renesmee."

"Renesmee?" Emmet asked with dislike.

"Yeah, like Renee and Esme combined…is that too weird?"

"Yes!" Emmett said too quickly.

"I like Carlie though, is what, like a female version of Carlisle?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, it's like a combo of Carlisle and Charlie."

"That's really pretty. Maybe you can use Renesmee for the middle name, but of course it's entirely up to you."

"What do you think?" I asked Edward. I never asked him before, because I was sure he'd say something like Lucifer, or Demona, maybe even Hades.

"Whatever you want," he said.

"But what do you like best?"

He shrugged, "Carlie is kind of neat. I like the other one too, what was it?"

"Renesmee."

"Oh, right."

Emmett made a puking noise when I said Renesmee, so I thought about naming the baby that just out of spite, but then she'd have to deal with his name calling for her whole life.

Edward spent the next few hours with his head on my stomach, just listening. I rubbed his head and kept running my fingers through his perfect hair as I talked quietly to my mom. She had all kinds of questions about the baby and the birth, and then came the dreaded question about my future plans.

"Bella, you can't." Renee said upset.

"Mom, I love Edward, and I want to spend forever with him."

"Even if you have to kill things and drink blood to do it?"

When she asked me about drinking blood, I smirked to myself and took another gulp from my cup of blood.

"And what about your baby? You have no idea what it's going to be, or how long it will live for. Have you thought about the fact that you may outlive it and never have the option of going to an afterlife to be reunited."

I was quiet for a moment and considered what she was saying. I looked down at Edward, who was conveniently ignoring our conversation, and took a deep breath before answering her. "I love Edward, and I can't be without him. The baby is a question to everyone, and I can't just let myself die because of a 'what if'."

"I just want to make sure that you make the right decision for you," Renee said.

"I am mom, I've had a lot of time to think about it, and this is what I want."

"This isn't something you can take back, it's a forever decision."

"I know."

"I just talked to Carlisle, he and Esme should be home tomorrow morning," Rose announced. "I told him about the baby's thoughts, and he's so excited."

I started feeling achy again, and Renee noticed the discomfort on my face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Renee asked, and Edward's head popped up to look at me.

"Nothing, I think I just need to use the restroom."

"Oh here, do you need me to help you?"

"Thanks mom, but I'm past walking. Rose?" Rose flashed to my side and went to lift me up, but I decided to stop her. "Hold on, I just want to stand up for just a minute and stretch my muscles."

I stood, and it felt so good to be on my feet again, but as I went to take a step, something in me snapped, so I froze. It didn't hurt at first, but I suddenly started vomiting blood all over the floor.

"Wow!" Emmett yelled as the blood rapidly shot out of my mouth. Edward was by my side holding me up, but he had no idea what to do.

"Oh my god, what's happening?" Renee started freaking out.

And then there was another snap, but the force of the second caused my whole body to go limp. Edward caught me before I could hit the ground, but my body started convulsing.

Edward looked at me horrified, "It can't breathe, the placenta must have detached."

"GET IT OUT!" I yelled.

Edward scooped me in his arms and ran upstairs, "Call Carlisle now!" He told Jasper.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," Edward repeated.

I couldn't feel my body, but I was still shaking violently as the baby panicked inside me. It was suffocating. Edward shot me with some kind of pain medicine. I didn't notice that my mom followed us upstairs, but I heard her yelling at Edward.

"You have no idea what to do, do you?"

"No, I'm not a doctor."

"Ok, where's the scalpel?"

"Are you a doctor?" He asked surprised.

"No, but I went to medical school for two years, and then I went to veterinarian school for a semester."

"Have you done a c-section before?"

"Yeah…on a cat."

"JUST GET IT OUT, IT'S DYING!" I yelled.

"I just need to wait just another minute for the narcotics to take effect," Renee said.

"The baby doesn't have a minute," I said pleadingly.

"Her spinal cord is broken, she won't feel it anyway," Edward said quietly.

My body continued to jerk around, but then suddenly it stopped. "Is it out?"

"Oh. My. God." Renee said slowly, then fell to the ground.

"What happened?" I asked weakly. I felt like I was fading, and I couldn't feel any of my body anymore.

"She fainted, but she'll be fine. ROSE!" Edward yelled.

"I got it," Rose's voice was muffled and everything sounded like I was listening from under water.

Edward's face appeared in my line of sight. "Bella, I can't stop the bleeding. If I don't turn you now, then you're going to bleed to death."

I nodded, already knowing that it was the plan to turn me immediately, but he was just asking me one more time, just to be sure that it's what I still wanted.

"I love you," Edward said and then he brought his lips to my neck, and everything went black.

* * *

***Is it a boy, or a girl? What do you think about the possible names? ****Please Review*******


	19. Ch 18 Hot Headed

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 18 –_Hot Headed_~

EPOV

Everything happened so fast. Bella was fine and then all of a sudden, there was a snap and Bella started vomiting blood all over. I raced to her and held her up, but there was another snap and her body went limp. I could hear the baby's panic, and I knew it was suffocating.

"It can't breathe, the placenta must have detached," I said horrified.

"GET IT OUT!" Bella yelled.

I grabbed her in my arms and ran upstairs with her, passing Jasper on the way. "Call Carlisle, NOW!" I yelled to him; but I knew that there was no way Carlisle could get there in time. "Shit, shit, shit, shit." I had never been more terrified in all my life. I laid Bella on the hospital bed, which Carlisle had set up before he left, and I stared helplessly at my life dying in front of me.

"You have no idea what to do, do you?" Renee asked me. I didn't even realize that she followed us upstairs until she spoke.

"No, I'm not a doctor," I said bitterly. Perhaps if I had stayed with Carlisle since I was turned, I would have picked up on some medical training along the way.

"Ok, where's the scalpel?" She asked.

"Are you a doctor?" I asked surprised.

"No, but I went to medical school for two years, and then I went to veterinarian school for a semester."

"Have you done a c-section before?"

"Yeah…on a cat."_ What the hell?_

"JUST GET IT OUT, IT'S DYING!" Bella screamed.

"I just need to wait just another minute for the narcotics to take effect," Renee said.

"The baby doesn't have a minute," Bella said pleadingly.

"Her spinal cord is broken; she won't feel it anyway," I said quietly, realizing that was what the second snapping noise was when Bella went limp.

Renee brought the scalpel to Bella's abdomen, where she made a long incision and slowly spread the wound to get to her uterus. The smell of Bella's spilling blood was overpowering, and even though I was trying not to breathe, her scent engulfed me. But there was absolutely no temptation. Bella was my world and she was going to bleed to death. The baby calmed momentarily, because it understood that we were trying to get it out.

"Is it out?" Bella asked, but I didn't have time to answer.

Renee tried to cut through the uterus but the hard casing made the blade break, though she didn't need to cut it after all because the baby was coming out on its own. When Renee saw the baby breaking through, her mind started doing flips "Oh. My. God." Renee fainted and fell to the ground. _Shit_

The baby actually stuck its head out, and took a deep breath, but the jerking continued as it tried to get all the way out. I reached for it, and held it in my arms for a moment.

"What happened?" Bella asked weakly.

"She fainted, but she'll be fine. ROSE!" I yelled to Rose hoping she could come take the baby so I could tend to Bella.

"I got it," Rose said, and took the baby from me.

_Oh, it's a girl_ – Rose thought happily.

I went to try to stop the bleeding, but she just kept hemorrhaging, then something shocked the hell out of me. "Rose" I said to her too quietly for Bella to hear.

"What?" She walked over and was just as shocked as I was. "It's another one," she said excitedly. I lifted the baby boy out of Bella, and told Rose to take them out of the room. I briefly wondered how I could have missed the second one when I was listening before; I definitely only heard one baby, but I didn't have time to think about it further in that moment.

"Bella, I can't stop the bleeding. If I don't turn you now, then you're going to bleed to death." I said to her, and even though she was barely conscious, she nodded. I told her that I loved her, and then I braced myself as I gently sunk my teeth into her neck. The taste of her blood was so much more otherworldly amazing, that I never could have imagined it in all my eternity, but the taste was _nothing_ as I watched my Bella lose her battle to stay alive.

Her heart completely stopped, and I stood there stunned for a moment. _How the hell did I just lose her so quickly?_ ….No. I refused to let her go, so I started pounding on her chest to try to get her heart working again, but I was worried that I didn't get enough of my venom in her blood stream.

"Here, let me do that, you just like…keep biting her or something." I was so grateful that Jacob showed up when he did, because I wasn't going to be able to save her alone.

Jacob started pumping her heart, and I grabbed the syringe that I had previously filled with my venom, and I moved Jake's hand out of the way so I could plunge my venom straight into her heart. Afterwards, Jacob started pumping again, and I bit her wrist to try to get the most amount of my venom in her as possible.

"She's not responding." Jake said as he continued pounding on her chest.

"Move," I said to him. I had done everything else that I could do, so I took over pumping her heart again.

"Edward, she's gone," Jake said quietly.

"Fine, then leave, but I'm not giving up."

_I can't just stand here and watch you beating the corpse of my best friend _– he thought to me, unable to speak.

"Go then!" I yelled at him, I didn't need him anymore anyway.

Jacob hung his head and walked out of the room, he may have even been crying, but I wasn't about to focus on him. Bella wasn't responding, so I just kept pumping her heart for her. Vampires never got tired, so I'd pump her heart for as long as it took. I breathed air into her lungs and continued pumping.

"Come on Bella, come back to me; you promised you'd stay alive." Still, no response.

Emmett had come in to carry Renee out of the room, but she was awake again, so she came back, crying.

"Bella," she breathed.

"She's going to be fine," I told the both of us and I just kept pumping. I could feel her heart becoming stiffer as the venom there started thickening in the blood. Renee had to leave the room again, because her mind was convinced that Bella was dead, but I was happy to be rid of her. She had a loud beating heart and it was pissing me off that I couldn't get Bella's to work.

"Edward, she's gone," Emmett said from behind me. Jacob told him that I was in denial, so he came up to try to get me to stop.

"No she's not, she'll come back, I just need to keep her heart pumping the venom."

"Man, look what you're doing to her; you're turning her into minced meat. Her body can't take your force. I know this is hard, but she's gone and what you're doing isn't helping."

I took a step back and looked at Bella's battered and shredded limp body, and felt completely numb. I had warned Bella over and over again how dangerous having the baby would be, but I never actually really thought that I couldn't save her. As much as Bella had changed me, deep down, I still had that Volturi arrogant god complex, and I truly believed that I couldn't fail at anything.

The numbness melted away, and it was replaced with fury. I was livid. _This wasn't supposed to happen; I wasn't supposed to lose her_. I blamed Carlisle for not being there, and I blamed Rose for getting her hopes up, and I even blamed Bella for not listening to me when I tried to terminate the pregnancy earlier. And whatever affection I felt for the babies before they were born, was completely gone. I hated them, and I hated myself for allowing them to be born. I could feel that long dormant monster inside of me start to wake up and claw its way to the surface. I wanted to lash out and kill everyone within a fifty mile radius, starting with everyone in the house. Vengeance would never be so sweet.

"Where are you going?" Emmett asked me concerned. He reached to me and put his hand on my shoulder, which I threw off forcefully and continued down the stairs. When I got to the living room, Rose was feeding one of the infants, and the mutt was oddly feeding the other. The one that Rose was feeding turned its head and looked at me with a wide smile, but I looked away immediately. I didn't want it smiling at me; I didn't want it smiling at all. It didn't deserve to smile after it killed Bella so mercilessly.

Rose stood up, while still holding the little murderer, and she stepped closer to me tentatively. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to happen, we all really came to love Bella."

"Don't you fucking speak to me."

"Hey now," Emmett positioned himself between me and his mate. "We all know you're in pain right now, but you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down," I said angrily and I lunged at him. I wasn't in the proper frame of mind to fight, so I wasn't able to kill him as quickly as I wanted to. I shoved him into the couch causing it to crumble under us, and then he threw me against the wall, creating a huge crack that ran up the ceiling.

"I don't want to fight, you just need to calm down," Emmett said when he got me in a headlock. I shrugged out of it and pinned him to the floor while I pounded him. I got into a good position and I managed to rip his arm off. He cried out in pain, but I still wasn't ready to stop fighting. I went for his other arm, when Jasper pulled me off of him.

"Edward, you have to stop," Alice said to me calmly, but I didn't want to stop, and I didn't plan to until all the Cullens were dead.

"Get away from me or I'll kill you too!" I yelled at her.

"Edward, you're scaring the babies," Rose said loudly.

"I don't care, they should be scared!"

There was a loud shriek, which grabbed everyone's attention. It was the infant that the mutt was holding, apparently neither the girl, nor boy, had made any vocal noises before. They all raced to it and tried comforting the thing as it cried. I watched them all hovering around it, and suddenly I knew it was all pointless. I couldn't kill all of them, and I was pretty sure that they wouldn't kill me. They'd probably just find a way to restrain me somehow, and force me to live in the agony of my loss forever.

So I left…again. I had been around the world and found absolutely nothing to keep me anywhere, so I just walked into the woods. After taking out my aggression on a few dozen trees, I found myself in a strange meadow full of lavender colored wildflowers. I once compared Bella's scent to the smell of flowers in the warm breeze, and I was right, the meadow's smell reminded me of her. Of course, nothing could ever smell as amazing as Bella…_did_, but it was the closest that I found.

I sat in the middle of the meadow, and completely lost myself in the endless abyss of my mind. The sky darkened, and then it lightened again, and repeated the pattern, but I didn't care enough to keep track of the amount of times that the sun rose and set.

After some time, something finally broke me out of my trance. There was movement in the woods to the east of the meadow, and it wasn't some woodland creature. The strong smell of vampire filled the still evening air. It was a new scent to me, but somehow still familiar in a way, though I knew I had never encountered the vampire before.

I stood, ready to fight whoever it was, when she walked into view. Her ruby eyes beamed at me in the darkness, and her still statuesque pose waited cautiously but intently for me to make the first move. My instincts told me to attack the new vampire, but like all the other times I saw her before, my instincts completely failed me and my passion took over. I carelessly ran to her, closing the distance at lightning speed, but before I reached her, she sprung backwards into a nearby tree and hissed at me.

I put my hands up towards her, and surrendered to her will. "Bella?" I said quietly.

She hissed at me again, but jumped down from the tree and stood a few feet away from me. "You really need to stop with the running away shit," she said with a devilish smirk. God, she was beautiful. She was always beautiful, but as a vampire she was stunning.

"You were dead," I said quietly.

"I guess not," she said in a voice that was as intimidating as it was sexy.

"Did you just wake up?" I asked her, still in a surrealistic shock.

"If you would have stayed, you would already know the answer."

"Your thirst must be killing you, come, I'll show you how to hunt," I told her.

She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest, "No. You don't think that I'm going to let you off the hook that easy, do you? You did a bad thing, poor Emmett had to sit all day while his arm reattached itself."

I really didn't care about Emmett in that moment, but I pretended to, just so Bella would stop with the menacing tone. "I know, that was awful of me. I thought you were dead, and I snapped."

She cocked her head to the side, and her intense glare sent chills up my spine. _She was so fucking sexy_.

"You're lying. You don't give a shit about Emmett."

I looked around as I searched my brain for some kind of response. "And how do you know that?"

"It's kind of one of those vampire extra abilities," she said coldly.

"Really?" I asked impressed.

"Well, at least when it comes to you. I've always been able to detect your bull, and since everything is heightened now…well, let's just say that if I were you, I'd watch my mouth for now on."

_Ok, that's not going to happen._ I wasn't about to censor myself for anyone. "You really need to remember who you're talking to. I've killed more vampires and humans then you could ever imagine, and no fucking newborn is going to disrespect me like that." I warned her.

"No?" she walked two steps closer to me. "And what the hell are you going to do about it?" She goaded me.

I shot my arm out to her neck, and clinched it in my fist. She narrowed her eyes at me, and slowly traced her hand up my body until it reached my arm, which was still outstretched to hold her throat. She let her fingers lightly caress the length of my arm, but then clawed me and bent it around forcing me to let go. In a flash, she had her teeth at me neck, and she didn't hesitate to bite down hard. The sting of her venom made me fume inside, so I threw her down and used my body weight to pin her.

She used her extra newborn strength to hurl me off of her and into a tree, causing it to break and fall over. I recovered myself and flung my body back at her, but she caught me by the neck and tightened her grip. I could feel my neck begin to crack under her pressure, but I pried her hand off of me, and spun around quickly until I was behind her with my arms around her body securely. With just a little more pressure, I could break her in half, but instead of adding pressure, I released it. She spun around so she was facing me again, and reached around to grab the back of my neck.

"I could end you right now," she said viciously.

"No, you couldn't," I said. Then I grabbed her neck again, while she still had a hold of mine.

We stared at each other for a long moment before something in each of our eyes told us that we had enough. We pulled each other in forcefully, and locked our lips together. With how aggressive we were while fighting, we were twice as aggressive with our passion. She started clawing at our clothes until they were nothing but shreds at our feet, and then she pulled herself up, forcing me to hold her as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I pushed her hard into a tree, so her back was pressed against it, and wasted no time before I pounded into her vehemently. The tree started snapping behind her from my force, so without missing a thrust, I moved us to the next tree. After the third tree protested being our leverage, I finally moved on to using a boulder.

I had rough sex before with various vampires, and none compared to the amazing but restrained way that I always made love to her as a human, but this was the absolute best of both worlds. I could completely let go carelessly, but the intensity of the emotions I had for her, made me erupt into a fiery angry bliss to a caliber I never experienced before.

"Harder" she moaned as I continued to thrust. I was already going harder than I ever had with anyone before, but I blissfully pushed myself to meet her newborn strength's needs.

It became too much to control, and I came into her in a burst of everything I had in me. All of my vast range of emotions, all of the stress and baggage of a hundred years of my meaningless existence, all had been building to that one moment of total ecstasy.

She yelled out in torturous euphoria, as her walls throbbed around me. She had her hands twisted in my hair, and she let her head fall back as she rode her own waves of satisfaction. I looked down at her perfect vampire body and was just amazed at how extremely it had changed since just a few days prior. Vampire venom worked wonders, and her previously mangled body was absolutely stunning.

We continued to kiss for another several minutes, until she pulled away. "Ok, I'm thirsty so let's get some stinking animals." I laughed at her, and then put her back down on her feet.

We took off running towards the sound of large beating hearts to the north. "You know, it's really fucking sexy watching you run naked through the forest, but I kind of feel like Tarzan." She giggled in front of me, but gave no other response. I didn't give her much direction, I just told her to follow her instincts, and so she did. I felt like I was going to burst from the joy of watching her become such a natural vampire, but I wasn't surprised. Everything she ever did was unexpected, so the only thing that would surprise me, would be if I _wasn't _surprised.

She caught a large buck easily, and she didn't wince at the disgusting flavor like I had, she just drained it all and quickly moved on to the next one. After four carcasses were left drained on the forest floor, she looked back at me. "Aren't you going to drink?"

I had forgotten that I needed to hunt as well, because I was too mesmerized by watching her. "Yeah, I guess I should."

When we were both finished, I wrapped her back in my arms, and she smiled at me like she always had as a human. "You're amazing," I said quietly to her.

"I don't know what you were complaining about, animals aren't so bad."

"Well, you only think that because you've never had human blood before."

"Yes I have, I drank it when I was pregnant."

"Pre-transformation doesn't count. Just wait until you smell humans, and then you'll get the slightest understanding."

"I've already smelled them; Renee and Phil are still at the house."

"And you didn't kill them?" I asked shocked.

"No, she's my mother," Bella said appalled at the thought.

I shook my head with a smile, and kissed her again. The kiss ignited another round of passion, but as soon as we finished with that, she became distant.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to peal myself off of you, but we need to get back. Everyone was pretty upset with the way you left."

"I need to apologize," I said to myself.

"You didn't even hold the babies," she said upset.

"Yeah I did…when I pulled them out of you." _Stupid fucking Rose probably told her everything I did, as soon as she opened her ruby eyes._ But I couldn't keep blaming others for my actions, I was horrid and I felt like shit.

"Edward, Rose said that you scared them." _I knew it was Rose with the big mouth._

"I know. I could stand here for the rest of forever and blame my actions on grief, but it's no excuse. I'm a horrible…_person_." I never called myself a 'person' before, and it was strangely ironic that I used that word after behaving so beastly.

"Well, it's time to make up for your actions."

I nodded. "Have you seen them yet?"

"They all wanted me to wait until after I hunted, but Carlisle said that I have an amazing amount of control for a newborn, so they tentatively let me see them. It was actually painful because Renee, Phil, and Jake were in the room also. It was a lot of beating hearts."

"I would say so," I agreed.

"But they were absolutely amazing; I still can't believe there were two of them."

"What are they like?" I was so consumed by my agonizing loss that I didn't actually pay attention to what either baby looked like.

"Nope, I'm not going to tell you. You should have behaved yourself, so now you're just going to have to wait and see."

"Ok," I said, it was only fair. "I'm really surprised that they let you go on your first hunt alone."

"They didn't, they all knew you were out here. Jasper and Alice kept taking turns to come out and check on you, but Carlisle decided that it would be best to wait until my transformation was complete and then let me come out here to get you myself. He figured that if they tried to tell you that I was alive before I woke up, you'd just attack them thinking they were lying with their thoughts. They pointed out your scent to me and told me to follow your trail here."

"I just don't understand how you're alive. Your heart was stopped, you were completely dead and the dead can't be transformed. The heart has to be beating in order to spread the venom through the body."

"Well, Carlisle said that he was told what happened when he and Esme got home, shortly after you left. He was really upset, so he went upstairs to just check everything out, and he said that I was lying there transforming. He thinks that you pumped the venom through me enough, and after a few minutes the venom started to work and it healed my heart so it could pump by itself. If you would have just waited another ten minutes, you would have been able to watch me heal."

Once again, my hot headed stupidity had gotten in the way.

"I love you so much," I said to her.

"I love you too."

And we headed back to the house to meet our children.

* * *

***TWINS! Everyone had different opinions on whether the baby should be a girl or boy, so I went with both. I already considered making it twins, and that just made the decision for me. If you have already read 'Moon Scars' then you have a pretty good idea on how the babies will look. I'm not great at coming up with new physical descriptions on E/B offspring, because to me it's pretty obvious on how they would look. For those who haven't read my other story Moon Scars, then the babies' description will come in the next chapter.**

**I absolutely love Jake and Nessie stories, and I've written several of them, but this is an Edward and Bella story so I will not be spending much time on Jacob's feelings and his wolf pack. This story is mainly focused on Edward's experience, because I really felt that he was cheated out of BD. SM wrote far too much about Jacob, and we lost Edward a bit after Nessie was born. Also, we already read about Bella's feelings on becoming a vampire in BD, so I didn't feel the need to elaborate too much on her experience. So if you felt I was too vague, please just consider BD as a reference. **

**Thanks for reading, more to come soon, ****Please Review*******


	20. Ch 19 Eye of the Storm

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 19 – Eye of the Storm~

EPOV

Nervous, was not something that a well respected Volturi guard member ever experienced. Nerves were only for the weak and inconsequential humans, I was far too superior to be feeling such a worthless emotion. But as I walked closer to the Cullen house, and could hear the occupants' hushed voices as they heard our approach, feeling nervous was an understatement. I behaved so horribly to all of the Cullens but I legitimately didn't care about them, even though I knew I should; my only concern was seeing my children again. I knew I scared them with my actions, and the last thing I wanted was for them to be terrified of me with Bella watching us. But then again, they're babies, how much could they have understood?

Bella tugged on my hand that she was holding, and pulled me into a kiss before we went inside. As soon as we opened the door, I was mentally assaulted by all the minds in the room, but no one talked for several long tense moments.

Carlisle stood finally, and walked forward to me. "Welcome home son," he said with a warm smile.

It was strange hearing him call me son, and referring to the Cullen house as my home, but the strangest part was that it wasn't that strange, almost natural sounding.

"Thanks," I said uneasily. The more comfortable I became with the unconventional coven, the more confused I was.

I looked around the room to survey the scene. The babies weren't in the room, but I could hear their low breathing and fluttering hearts upstairs, presumably sleeping, so I decided that the very first thing I needed to do was apologize to Emmett.

He was sitting in the far corner of the room casually, but his mind was cautious. His arm was already reattached and seemed to be working normally, and suddenly he stood and walked forward to me slowly.

"Emmett, I apologize for…" I started to say when he put his hand up to stop me.

"Look, I get it, and you don't need to say you're sorry, cause we all know that you aren't. But I do want to apologize to _you_; I shouldn't have tried to pull you away from her like that. You were right, and it wasn't any of our places to try to get you to give up on bringing Bella back. So, on behalf of all of us, I'm sorry."

Emmett surprisingly, seemed to know me quiet well; I didn't want to apologize and I wasn't really sorry. I hated apologizing for anything, and I was hardly ever sorry for my behavior because I rarely did something that I regretted. I guess that attitude went back to being part of the Volturi; demigods didn't need to apologize for anything because they were always right…but I wasn't part of the Volturi anymore.

"You're right Emmett, I don't want to apologize, but I _need _to. I let my emotions take over and even if I had every right to be upset, I didn't have a right to attack you because of it. It wasn't you're fault and I shouldn't have treated you that way. I'm sorry."

As much as I hated admitting fault, lavish displays of emotions were even worse, especially when I lost control to those emotions the way I had when grief took over and I attacked Emmett. Vampires weren't suppose to have emotions the way humans did, but there I was, feeling things that I thought died with my beating heart. Love came first with Bella, then compassion, sympathy, trust, friendship, even brotherhood, and it was hard to accept, but I didn't have a choice. The Cullens were becoming my _family_.

I put my fist out so he could bump it, like he always had done with me, but without even thinking about it first, he grabbed me into the tightest hug that I ever experienced before. I had a strong urge to rip his arm off again, followed by his head, but I fought it and waited limply for him to release me.

"I love you man, we're cool." Emmett said unexpectedly._ Huh? _A sense of friendship, possibly even brotherhood, fine, but the '_I love you_s' had to stop.

"I think…you're swell," I said after he finally released me. I was really starting to like Emmett, but I was in no way ready to tell him that I loved him, and I seriously doubted that I ever would.

And just like that, I knew that returning to Italy wasn't an option. Even if there weren't any babies to consider, going back to the Volturi seemed unfathomable after strangely bonding with the Cullens.

"How long have they been sleeping for?" Bella asked Rose, which thankfully diverted my attention from the awkward Emmett encounter.

"A couple hours, they should be awake soon," Rose said.

Everyone was still at the house, all the Cullens, Jacob, Renee and Phil. It was a unique blend of species, but everyone seemed reasonably comfortable with each other, and every single one of them was thinking about my children with adoration. They all loved both of them already, and their thoughts were close to an almost awed reverence when it came to them. A new feeling overtook me which I wasn't accustomed to, jealousy. My stupidity and rash behavior had driven me away from the babies, and I hated that everyone knew them better than I did.

I could see the babies in their minds, but until I experienced them for myself, it was hard to fully understand their devotion to them.

"Any change?" Bella then asked Carlisle.

"Their growing hasn't slowed, but it hasn't sped up either, so at least that's something."

"But they are the sweetest little things to ever exist," Renee said with fervor. Bella seemed to be happy that her mother was still there, but their relationship had definitely changed. They were keeping a healthy distance from each other, Bella didn't want to get too close for obvious reasons, and Renee was still uncomfortable with the idea of having a vampire for a daughter, though her hybrid grandkids were completely irresistible to her.

"I'm going to go check on them," Bella said, and Rose got up to go with her.

"Is she Ok being so close to them?" I asked Carlisle, referring to Bella being a newborn and the babies having beating hearts.

"I have never seen a vampire with such restraint as Bella, little alone a newborn; she is absolutely amazing. She held the babies and was fine around the humans as soon as she woke up…simply remarkable."

"That, she is," I agreed.

Bella and Rose came down five minutes later and Bella had a baby in each arm. She wasn't cradling them like I expected that infants needed to be held, they were upright and seemed to support their own weight. Bella, and both babies, looked at me intently as the distance between us closed, and automatically and very deliberately, the girl put her hand to Bella's cheek.

Images of my face flashed through the baby's mind, and it almost had a sense of familiarity to it, like she knew who I was immediately.

The baby patted Bella's cheek again, and a different image floated in her mind; it was of me holding her.

"You want daddy to hold you?" Bella asked her, and she smiled and nodded. What. The. Hell? I didn't know much about babies, but I was positive that they were too young to communicate so affectively, not to mention the fact that Bella seemed to be able to read her thoughts.

Bella walked over to me and placed the girl baby in my arms. She was absolutely beautiful. She had my face shape and bronze hair color, but Bella's lips and big chocolate eyes that I had fallen in love with. She smiled at me, and it was impossible not to smile back. She placed her tiny pink palm to my cheek as she had done to Bella, and started playing memories of Carlisle, Alice, Esme, and Bella, all saying 'daddy' to her when referring to me. It was almost like she was trying to tell me that she understood that I was her father. And then she showed images of Rose, Emmett, Bella, and Renee, all calling her Carlie, and then I knew what she was doing, even though it shocked the hell out of me; she was introducing herself to me, she was Carlie and she knew that I was daddy.

She smiled at me expectedly, as I just stared at her in shock.

"What did she show you?" Rose asked eagerly.

It took me a few moments to collect myself enough to answer her. "I think she was trying to tell me her name."

"Yeah, I sort of named them already, I hope you don't mind, but you did say that I could pick whatever I wanted," Bella said sheepishly.

"Of course you could," I told her.

"Well she's Carlie Renesmee, and this little guy is Edward Anthony…Junior."

I looked at my son in Bella's arms, and he hid in her hair shyly. I tried to listen to his mind, but his thoughts were as silent as Bella's, which was probably why I didn't know he existed until after he was born; I was only able to hear Carlie's thoughts in utero, so I only thought there was one.

Carlie reached up to my cheek again, and showed me a memory of me attacking Emmett, and the feeling of fear and confusion laced the thought. But what surprised me the most was the fact that the memory didn't seem to be Carlie's, it was her brother's.

"Did she just show me EJ's memory?" I asked Bella.

"She's very gifted," Bella said with a smile.

"We've concluded that the twins are telepathic with each other, but Carlie can project both of their thoughts into anyone's mind, as long as she's touching that person. She doesn't understand that you don't need her touch for you to hear her though," Carlisle explained full of fascination. "Can you hear EJ's thoughts?"

"No, only when Carlie just touched me, but I didn't hear him the first time she touched me, and I can't hear his thoughts in her mind when she's not touching me either."

"Interesting," Carlisle said. "So the only way you can hear his thoughts, is if Carlie touches you, and she _wants_ you to hear what her brother is thinking, but you can hear Carlie's thoughts at any time."

"It seems so."

Over the next few hours, I got to know the babies a bit more. Carlie was very sociable and seemed to be fearless, where EJ was more reserved and a bit timid. I could hear Carlie's thoughts at all times, but I could only hear EJ's thoughts when Carlie was touching me and wanted me to hear them. EJ had the same facial structure as Carlie, which was an exact copy of mine, but his coloring was different. Carlie had my hair and Bella's eyes, where EJ had Bella's brown hair, and green eyes, which I vaguely remembered both Alice and I having as humans. They were both extremely smart and inquisitive, but EJ was very guarded around me, and kept his distance. I wanted to hold him, but he clung to Bella or Rose, and I realized that my fight with Emmett had done more damage then I previously wanted to admit.

Even though EJ didn't want me anywhere near him, Carlie wouldn't let me go. She spent hours with her hand on my face, just showing me anything and everything on her new little mind. I told her that I could hear her without her hand, which she understood, but liked to keep it there anyway and would occasionally let me peek in EJ's mind as well. He watched me carefully and was interested in me, but still afraid. I knew it was going to take time for him to warm up after the violent aggression that he saw coming from me just after his birth, and I didn't want to traumatize him further by forcing myself on him.

After a while, Carlie and EJ both drifted to sleep, so Bella and I put them upstairs to rest easier. We came back down, and Bella clung to my side while we discussed the future with Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens.

"I know everything has happened so fast, but it would be good to start considering the Volturi's possible involvement here," Carlisle said to me.

"I didn't plan on this, I never thought the babies would have survived and be in such control of themselves. I really have no idea what to do, but I do know that we have to keep Aro in the dark for as long as possible."

"What would he do if he found out?" Renee asked unexpectedly. Someone must have explained the true logistics of the vampire world, as well as the hierarchy.

I shook my head in uncertainty, "He'd either want them in Volterra to study them, or…" I let my words trail off, because I just didn't even want to think about anyone hurting them.

"Edward, they're going to come looking for us. I still think I should go there myself and…"

"Bella, that really won't help. If you go there without me, Aro will know something is definitely going on."

"I'm watching Aro's decisions, and so far, he hasn't made any," Alice said.

"It's only a matter of time," Carlisle injected.

"But we don't even know how much time the kids have. I mean, they're growing so fast that we have no idea how long they'll even live for," Emmett brought to light.

"All we can do is watch their growth carefully, and hope for the best. We need to continue to research any stories on humans giving birth to vampire babies, but even if we had a definitive answer, it won't matter if the Volturi sweep in and take them away," Carlisle told him.

"So just to be clear, you're going to stay with us as oppose to returning to Italy?" Rose asked me.

I looked at Bella, and she smiled at me knowing that I had completely given up on any reserved desire to return to the Volturi. "I feel as though our place is with this coven, but I fear that our presence here will only bring a war upon you that we can't win."

"We all consider the four of you as part of the family, and if a battle can't be avoided, we will stand with you. It's not a burden; it's what we do for those we care about. If we're not willing to fight for love and family, then what the hell are we doing in this life?" Carlisle said with conviction.

I wanted to argue further, but the truth was that I simply couldn't. As much as I hated the idea of them dying for _me_, I would take all the help I could get to protect Bella and our children.

"I agree with Carlisle," Jacob spoke for the first time in hours, "You need to stay here, because if you can't count on family, then you can't count on anything."

Bella growled at him, and he automatically shut up and cowered into the corner where he had been sitting quietly all day, just like the good little mutt that he was.

"What's that about?" I asked Bella quietly, because Wolfy wouldn't think of anything but the Mariner's game.

"That mongrel imprinted on Carlie," she said angrily, and I could actually see the venom in her mouth start to well up as a response.

"Imprinted, what the hell is that?" I asked, but looked at the mutt for an answer. He didn't say it out loud, but he went through it cautiously in his mind, and I couldn't help but laugh despite myself.

"Why are you laughing?" Bella asked annoyed.

"Because, I never heard of such a ridiculous bunch of nonsense bull shit in all my life. And I thought I was crazy for being in love with a human."

"This isn't something I chose," the mongrel said sulkily.

"No, but you are going have to put up with your resentment towards vampires for the rest of your life now." I laughed even harder. I guess from a father's perspective, I should have been a bit more upset and protective of my daughter, but the whole thing was just too funny. Just because he had some kind of involuntary canine connection to Carlie, that didn't mean that she'd be affected much by it, and if he ever thought something remotely improper about her, I'd rip his balls off and shove them down his throat.

"Aren't you even a little upset about this?" Bella asked me shocked by my light attitude.

"Why, because Carlie has a pet for life? No way, it's hysterical, I just can't wait until she's walking and she can lead him around by a leash."

"She doesn't even need a leash, he'll follow her around like a helpless lost puppy," Emmett said, joining in on my laughter.

"Didn't all the other vampires in Volterra refer to me as your 'pet'?" Bella asked disgusted by my humor, and I immediately stopped laughing.

_SHIT! On second thought, perhaps I'll just neuter him right away._

"That's different," I said seriously.

"Yeah, it is different; I never had a desire to eat Carlie," Mutt said.

"Just ignore him, I do," Rose said smugly. "Seriously Edward, there is no way Carlie would ever want anything to do with him romantically, his odor alone is enough to turn anyone off."

"She's a baby; I don't know why you're even talking about her in terms of romance. Edward knows that I don't think of her that way," Mutt said angrily to Rose.

I glared at mutt boy, but then let it go. I didn't hear anything in his mind worth killing him over, so I decided to just wait and see how it all played out. One more super strong creature willing to die to protect my child definitely couldn't hurt.

Everyone broke off and started little conversations amongst themselves, and even though uncertainty plagued the horizon, everyone seemed joyfully optimistic and I couldn't help but relax a bit. It was the eye of the storm, a small peaceful moment in the middle of the tumultuous journey which we all knew would soon be over. Bella was talking with Renee, Esme, and Rose, so I found myself curiously wandering over to the large piano in the far side of the room.

"Do you play?" Carlisle asked me casually.

"Uh, I think I did when I was human, but I really don't remember any of it."

"I find it very relaxing myself, here…" Carlisle quickly explained the different keys and briefly told me how to read music, before I easily picked it up for myself. It was only a moment before my fingers took control and I was playing as if I always had. I wasn't playing anything in particular, but the music that flowed seemed to almost narrate my life in a way, starting with the day I found my Bella, because that was when my life truly began. It my ode to her, and as I played, she felt it and smiled lovingly as she listened.

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***Alice has another **_**vision**_** in the next chapter. Please Review***


	21. Ch 20 Buying Time

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 20 – _Buying Time_~

EPOV

"That was beautiful, I didn't know you played," Bella said after I finished the song on the piano.

"I didn't either, but I like it."

She wrapped her arms around my shoulder, and pressed her lips into my neck, she may have even licked me. "You know, I think you have an obsession with necks, you're always kissing and biting me there, even when you were human."

"That's just because you taste so good," she said with a smirk.

"You really were meant for life as a vampire, weren't you?"

"As long as it's with you." She spun around me and straddled my lap, before kissing me ferociously.

Renee cleared her throat, but Emmett was less subtle. "Hey, get a room! Freaking horny newborn."

"Emmett, that warning about your dick still stands," Bella threatened him, and I laughed as Emmett's face fell into one of straight fear.

Bella climbed off my lap and grabbed my shirt collar, dragging me outside.

"Where are we going?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Emmett was right, I am a horny newborn," she said seductively, then took off running so I'd have to chase her.

"But Emmett said we should get a room, not a forest," I joked as we ran.

"A room would just crumble, this is better."

We didn't want to go too far, but we definitely wanted to get far enough away from the house that we were out of vampire hearing range.

She stopped running suddenly, "this is far enough." She kissed me forcefully, and then bit my bottom lip before shoving me into a tree, causing it to fall over. Instead of moving on to the next tree as I had done with us the last time, she just pushed me over and climbed on top of me.

"Let's not rip our clothes this time, I really don't want to have to have to try to find some more again before we can go back in the house," I said as she started removing my pants…with her teeth.

"Oops," she giggled as I heard a ripping noise. She let her hand embrace my hardness, and began stroking with way too much newborn strength.

"Babe, don't take this the wrong way, but ouch."

"Sorry," she said with a guilty smirk.

I flipped us both over so she was leaned over the newly broken tree, and I started slamming into her from behind. Bella clawed at the bark of the tree below her, and it started splintering in her hands. Her breathing spiked as I pounded harder and faster, and her euphoric moans told me that I she was enjoying every second of it. I reached my hand around her hips so I could rub her tenderness as I continued thrusting, and that completely put her over the top. Her body stiffened and she started screaming out in exhilarated elation, which only enticed me to go even harder. She clinched around me just as I exploded into her with a final burst of electricity, which left a burning pulsating hum in its wake. I pumped more slowly a few extra times as we rode the numbing wave that only quieted our desires for the time being, until our satisfaction would be inevitably consumed and we'd be lusting after each other again.

"God, you're fucking amazing," she said after I pulled out.

"I really love when you use the words '_god'_ and '_fucking amazing'_ after I finish fucking you, it's really sexy….and a good ego boast."

"Like you need that," she said, teasing sarcastically. "You have the biggest ego of anyone I've ever met."

"That's the price of being a demigod," I joked.

"Right," she said while rolling her eyes, "and I'm Cleopatra."

"Really? I always thought you were sexy, especially when Elizabeth Taylor played you in 1963; I saw that movie ten times in the theater. In fact, I often pictured Cleopatra when I was screwing Hei…"

"Enough! I really don't want to hear about your past endeavors," she said disgusted, but then smirked and tossed me my ripped pants.

We ran back to the Cullen house and were happy that the babies were still sleeping.

"Get a deep dicken Bella?" Emmett asked, but then covered his mouth horrified. "I'm sorry, really; I just can't help it sometimes. Please don't castrate me."

"Don't worry Emmett; I wouldn't make Rose suffer because of your mouth. And yes, I did and it was fucking incredible; thanks for asking." Bella grinned widely then turned away, leaving a stunned Emmett.

"I think you just may be my new mentor," Emmett said after a few minutes.

"Where's Renee?" Bella asked Esme.

"She and Phil went back to the hotel for the night. I told them that they were welcome to stay, but I know that they're more comfortable on their own. After the kind of torture that poor woman has been through at the hands of vampires, I'm surprised that she's able to handle being around us at all."

"She's always been a very strong woman," Bella said.

"That is definitely apparent in her actions," Esme told her.

I kissed Bella's shoulder from behind her, and let my hands trace the length of her hips. "I love you," I whispered.

"Mmm, I love you too," she said blissfully.

"I'm going to go check on the babies," I told her, then kissed her neck before jogging up the stairs. I listened at the door of the room they were sleeping in, but didn't hear anything so I cracked the door and peeked inside.

Carlie was still sound asleep, but EJ looked up at me startled and seemed like he was about to cry.

"No, don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you," I said quietly so I wouldn't wake Carlie. I walked slowly over to him and his green eyes grew wider with every step I took. "I know that you're afraid of me, but I promise that I would never harm you in any way. I can take you to mommy if you want."

He narrowed his eyes, but then hesitantly reached his arms out to me. I gently picked him up and the strangest thing happened, the moment I touched him, I could hear his thoughts. It was like there was an on switch and all I had to do was flip it. I had heard his thoughts before through Carlie, so it wasn't completely new to me, but I still loved hearing his mind first hand. He was still wary of me, but he was slowly starting to warm up and forgive me for my prior actions.

I carried him downstairs, and everyone smiled as we came into view.

_I knew he'd take to you_- Esme thought happily.

EJ looked at Esme and seemed surprised at something, even though she didn't say a word.

_Perhaps he's thirsty?_ – Rose thought to herself; EJ turned to her and nodded his head with a smile.

"Uh, did he just read my thoughts?" Rose asked stunned.

"What did you think?" Carlisle asked.

"I was wondering if he was thirsty," Rose said. Again, EJ looked at her and nodded.

"I think he did hear your thoughts," Bella said in wonder.

"Yeah, and the moment I touched him, I could hear his thoughts."

"You can hear what he's thinking?" Carlisle asked me fascinated.

"Yeah, but it's hard to differentiate between what he's hearing, and what I'm hearing."

"Wait, let me hold him for a moment," Rose said and she reached for him, which he gladly went to. "Can you still hear him?"

Rose thought that perhaps I could only hear him when I was holding him, but I could still hear him clearly even from her arms. "Yep."

"That's so cool," Emmett said enthusiastically.

"Go see mommy while auntie Rose get's you a bottle," Rose said to him, then put him in Bella's arms, and just like that, his mind went silent.

"His mind is gone again," I said quickly.

"Really? That's so strange," Bella said.

"Wait a minute, where's Jasper?" Carlisle asked suddenly.

"He just went upstairs," Alice said.

"Jasper, can you come down here for a minute?" Carlisle asked, and five seconds later he appeared.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I need you to hold EJ for just a minute," Carlisle told him.

"Sure, come here little guy," Jasper said and took him from Bella. The moment Jasper had him in his arms, I could hear his thoughts again.

"I can hear him now," I said astonished.

"Amazing," Carlisle said in awe, and the emotional climate of the room became excited, but somewhat confusing.

"What?" Rose asked.

"He's absorbing the extra talents of any gifted vampire he comes in contact with. Edward couldn't hear him before, because he had Bella's mind blocking gift, but once he was touched by a different gifted vampire, he lost her gift and took on the other's. That's why he was able to hear Rose's thoughts after touching Edward. My guess is that he'll retain which ever gift he receives, until he's touched by a different vampire with extra abilities. This also explains why Edward couldn't hear him when he was still in the womb; he was in constant contact with Bella then.

"But what about Carlie, he didn't absorb her ability?" I asked him.

"Perhaps being telepathic with each other is just their bond as twins, and he may not be able to absorb her power for the same reason."

EJ spent the next few days going back and forth between Jasper and me as much as possible. I was happy that he seemed to be over his aversion of me, but at the same time, I knew he was just using me to take my ability of reading minds. He also enjoyed manipulating emotions which is why he kept going to Jasper, but he didn't quite understand Bella's gift, and Alice didn't constantly get visions, so he didn't have much interest in her either.

Carlie spent a lot of the time with her wolf pet. He'd play stupid games with her like peek-a-boo, and even though she thought they were stupid as well, she liked that he seemed to be enjoying them, so she went along with it.

Two more weeks past, and we were settling into a unique but peacefully happy existence. Esme had a small three bedroom cottage built close to the main house so we could have our privacy and our own family time, but it was close enough that we were still fully involved with the Cullens. Plus, we wanted to stay close just in case the Volturi decided to make an advance to attack us.

The twins each had their own rooms in the cottage, but preferred to sleep together in EJ's little bed. They were still drinking donated human blood, but Rose and Jacob were trying to entice them to eat human food, which they found disgusting. At three weeks old, EJ started walking, and Carlie walked two days later. They didn't speak much, but they really didn't need to either, especially when EJ used my ability to read minds and he could relay other's thoughts to his sister telepathically, and in turn, Carlie would project EJ's thoughts into others minds when she touched them. They were fully communicational without actually talking, and they understood every word we would speak.

By the time they were a month old, they were the size of toddlers, but their intellect was smarter than most humans, though their maturity levels were still completely childlike. They could easily learn just about anything, but they still enjoyed playing like any child would. And they were very sneaky troublemakers. They often would run around and play tricks on everyone, but the worse the prank, the more hilarious it was.

…

"What the fuck? Who put rocks in my gas tank?" Emmett yelled as he was trying to start his car.

EJ and Carlie laughed and took off running.

"Edward, your little stinking monsters ruined my car!" he yelled at me.

I shrugged with a smile, "To be fair, I did warn everyone that they would be monsters."

…..

"UGH! Carlie!" Rose yelled as she came out of the bathroom one day. She was doing her hair, and whatever product she used turned her hair pink. Carlie laughed. "It's not funny, what is this?" Rose asked her.

"It's pretty auntie," Carlie said in her tiny voice that she rarely used.

…..

And the pranks just got more elaborate.

"Where's EJ?" Alice asked quickly.

"What did he do now?" Bella asked frustrated.

"He touched me and then ran off. I have no idea what his plan is, but he's using visions of the future to do it."

Bella put down the book she was reading, but I stopped her. "I'll go find him," I told her, then set out to hunt down both of our children because I knew they'd be together. They were supposed to be playing in the yard and Emmett had been watching them, but they tricked him and disappeared over the surrounding fence.

"Where'd they go?" Emmett asked as he followed me outside.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked him. "You said you were watching them."

"Well I was, but they asked if I'd get them a snack."

"Emmett, they don't eat snacks," I said irritated.

"I know that, but Carlisle said that we needed to keep trying to get them to eat human food, so I thought they decided to finally attempt eating and I wasn't about to discourage them by saying no."

I shook my head incredulously, and patted Emmett on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it; they seem to outsmart us all sometimes."

I followed their scent out to the low trafficked highway nearby, and the little boogers were using EJ's visions to know when cars were coming. They would lie in the middle of the street, and the drivers would see them pretending to be hurt or dead, so they would jump out of their cars in a panic to try and help them. Then the human's would get the shock of their lives when the twins would leap up and scare the shit out of them. The kids would start laughing, and before the humans could yell at them, or try to grab them, they would run to the cover of the trees, leaving the humans shocked and feeling as if they were going crazy. I had to admit, if the twins were hunting humans for blood, it would have been a good strategy.

I picked them both up and tossed them over my shoulders. "You know you're supposed to stay away from humans," I scolded them, but they just laughed at me knowing that I wasn't really mad.

_Awe daddy, you touched me, now I have to go back and get auntie Alice's visions again_ – EJ thought to me.

"No you won't. I'm not kidding, you have to stay away from the highway, it's very dangerous," I said sternly.

I carried them back to the house, and Bella looked at them crossly, "What were they doing?"

I put them down and Carlie tried to run upstairs, but Bella was faster and caught her. "Show me."

Carlie sighed, and put her hand to Bella's cheek and gave her a replay of what they were doing.

"Ok, you two need to stay in the house for the rest of the day," she told them.

"No!" the twins cried at the same time. A day wasn't long for a human or vampire, but for a rapidly growing hybrid, it was like a week.

I watched as EJ casually rubbed against Alice to get her ability back. "Hey!" I yelled at him, and then I was about to grab him so he would lose the visions, but at that moment both Alice and EJ's face went blank.

…

"_Felix, go get Edward, I'd like to speak to him," Aro ordered._

"_Edward isn't in Volterra." Felix said._

"_Where is he?"_

"_I don't know, Master."_

"_Well, how long has he been gone for?" Aro asked, annoyed by my absence. _

"_I haven't seen him in a few months."_

"_Months? Has it really been that long since I accessed his abilities last?" Aro asked astonished. "And what about his pet?"_

"_Oh come now Aro," Caius said, "she was his singer; there is no way that he hasn't drained her yet."_

"_Did anyone see him remove the body from his chambers?" Aro asked._

"_No, but he could have done it at anytime," Felix said._

"_Has Demetri returned from Africa yet?"_

"_Yes, but now he's in Beijing with Jane."_

"_Ok, keep an eye out for Edward, and if he doesn't show up by the time Demetri returns, then have him tracked." Aro instructed._

…_._

"Daddy, why are they after you?"EJ asked out loud, and everyone in the room gasped.

"The Volturi are coming after us now?" Bella asked full of worry.

"We need to come up with a plan right away," Carlisle suggested.

"They're not coming after _us_, they only want me," I told them.

"Edward, we will stand together," Carlisle said assertively.

"But what I'm saying is that it may not come to that, at least not yet. I need to go to Volterra and just let people see me so that they think that I'm still around, and before they grab me and haul me into Aro, I'll disappear again."

Carlisle nodded, "It may buy us some extra time."

"Edward, no; it's too dangerous," Bella said in a panic.

"No, it's too dangerous to just sit here and wait for them to come. After I go to Volterra, I'll stop in Beijing and take out their best tracker before returning home."

"Nice, I'll go with you bro," Emmett said enthusiastically.

"I'll go too, killing the tracker shouldn't be a problem with the three of us," Jasper said.

"What about Jane?" Rose asked.

Alice's face went blank again.

"Bella," I said quickly, and she grabbed EJ so he wouldn't be able to see the vision.

….

_Demetri was standing away from Jane in the Tuanjiehu City Park in Beijing, where he was stalking a human prey, when he was suddenly beheaded from behind._

…

"It'll work," Alice said emotionlessly.

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***Please Review***


	22. Ch 21 Dorothy

**Finding Heaven**

_A/N: Another short quick update. I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I have a feeling that the story may wrap up soon. The story is called 'Finding Heaven' because it's about Edward finding true happiness and as soon as his life calms, then the story will be over._

_This chapter isn't so happy, but I hope you enjoy it and don't get too pissed at me. If you've read any of my previous stories, then you know that I always write with canon parings (i.e. Jacob and Renesmee/Carlie) so don't be surprised at that, and I always MUST have happy endings. For me, a Twilight story isn't 'Twilight' unless it has a Stephenie Meyer sickly sweet happy ending._

_

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_

~Chapter 21 –_Dorothy_~

**EPOV**

"Bella, I won't be gone long," I tried assuring her as I was getting ready to leave, but she was upset regardless.

"This is just too dangerous," she said fearfully.

I cupped her face in my hands so I could look deep into her eyes, "I promise you, I'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. Emmett and Jazz are coming with me and Alice had that vision."

"Yeah, a vision which ended right after the beheading. How do you know that you weren't killed right after by Jane? Besides, Alice's visions have been wrong in the past."

"But it isn't wrong this time. This will be simple, easy even," I told her.

"Then why can't I come with you?"

"Because, you need to stay with Carlie and EJ."

"I'm sure Rose and Esme wouldn't mind watching them."

"Bella, please just stop. You're not coming," I said sternly.

"Oh, is that an order from Mr. High and Mighty Volturi Dude?" she asked, full of attitude.

I stared at her and shook my head, before walking out of the cottage. I wasn't about to argue with her at that moment.

_Daddy wait!_ – EJ mentally yelled to me, and I almost laughed when I saw him dragging a suitcase behind him, which was larger than he was.

"And where are you going?" I asked him.

"I want to come too," he said happily, and showed me an image of him and me fighting the _bad guys_ together.

_A team_ – he thought ecstatically.

"We are a team Buddy, and that's why I need you to stay here and protect mommy for me."

"But I can use the bad guys abilities against them," he said quietly.

"I'm sure you can, but if you come, then Carlie and mommy will want to come too, and we both know that they'd just get hurt."

"I guess so," EJ huffed then brought his bag back into the cottage.

"You are so sexist," Bella said unexpectedly.

"Why?"

"You tough men are going to go out and protect us women folk back here," she said in her best attempt to sound like a caveman.

I ignored her sour attitude, and grabbed her tightly before kissing her lips. She resisted at first, but then she gave in and wrapped her arms around me and kissed me back passionately. I released her lips, and kissed her forehead slowly.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," she said but her voice broke at the end.

"Daddy!" Carlie ran to me and jumped in my arms. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, princess," I kissed both of her cheeks and then put her down.

"Are you sure you won't need my help there?" EJ asked me.

"Don't worry, little dude, we'll keep your dad safe," Emmett said after appearing behind me.

"Are you ready?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, just a minute." I kissed my girls again, and then bent down to hug EJ. "I'll be back before you know it," I told him.

"Ok, but if I was bigger than you'd let me come, right?"

"Of course; you'd be my first choice." I kissed the top of his head, and got in the car with Jasper and Emmett.

…

The flight to Italy was long, and made me anxious. Jasper tried to use his calming ability on me, but my nerves were too strong. Once again, I was letting my emotions take over and I knew I was better than that, so I completely turned them off. The last thing I needed in Volterra, was emotions.

We arrived in Tuscany and immediately took off running towards Volterra.

"Ok, don't come to close to me, that'll just make them suspicious."

"Aye aye captain," Emmett joked, and then he and Jasper disappeared from behind me.

I walked down the city main street, and just made my presence known by rubbing my scent on anything I could. I touched the buildings as I passed, and ran my hands along the walls. I even spit a few times on the sidewalk, just so any vampire in the area could get a whiff of my fresh trail.

"Well, well, well, look what the wind blew in," Heidi said from behind me and she pressed her body against my side seductively.

"You still need to learn when you're not wanted, nor _desired_," I said aggravated.

"Oh come on lover," she said while running her fingers down my arm. I clinched my teeth and tried to control my temper. "We both know that you got tired of having sex with humans, and now you're back for a _real hard fucking_."

I nodded, "you're right, I did get tired of screwing around with the human, so that's why I killed her," I said in a menacing tone.

"Mmmm, that's my sexy beast," she breathed her disgusting air on my face, and I wanted to gag. I really started to wonder how the hell I was ever attracted to her.

"You need to back up; you're really invading my personal space, and I may just snap and rip your fucking head off," I warned her.

"Well, I was just about to go fishing, and I know Aro has been wanting to talk to you, so why don't you bring back the catch of the day. It would definitely please Aro."

"No. I have better things to do then go fishing."

"Really, like what?" She said with an evil grin.

_I know you want me, so let's just go fuck before I need to get back to Aro_ – she thought to me. Her lips brushed my chin, and her hand found its way to my crotch, which didn't respond to her touch whatsoever.

_What. The. Hell? It's still limp, – _she thought bitterly. "Oh, my god, no. You mated didn't you?" she said disturbed.

Vampires weren't like humans when it came to cheating, it just simply wasn't done and wasn't even physically possible. Once a vampire consciously committed themselves to a single mate, then they were mated for life and only the death of the other would release them to pursue a new mate, though most never would. It was almost a chemical connection in a way, and the vampires were forever altered after solidifying the mating bond. Heidi wanted to be my mate for over eighty years, but I never felt that tie to her, so we just always had meaningless sex. Since I was entirely with Bella, then being aroused by Heidi in any way was completely unachievable, even if I wanted to.

I never thought of Bella as my mate before, in fact, I reflected on the fact that she wasn't many times. It wasn't that I ever considered being with anyone else, but the title of 'mate' never seemed meaningful enough for how I felt about her. Mates were animalistic and were bonded not only by sex, but as a means of survival. They were partners in eternity, and though Bella was all those things to me, my emotions for her were much stronger. I realized then that Bella was indeed technically my mate, but she was also so much more, though none of which I needed to disclose to Heidi.

"It really doesn't matter whether I have a mate or not, all you need to know is that I have no desire for you." I said callously, and walked away from her.

As I walked, I passed by Chelsea, Alec, and Abraham, all of which took notice of me and even nodded to greet me. To them I was still a highly respected guard member, and the fact that I had been gone for months meant nothing to them because it wasn't unusual.

I figured enough vampires had seen me to be able to report to Aro of my presence, so I started walking away from the city to meet up with Emmett and Jasper, but then I was assaulted by Heidi's presence, once again.

"Why are your eyes that color?" she asked smugly. "I thought you were wearing contacts at first, but then I realized that I had never seen contacts that color before."

"I really don't care what you think," I said while I kept walking.

"Have you ever met Eleazar?" she asked, which froze me in place. Of course I knew who Eleazar was, he and his mate brought me to Italy from America as a newborn. I also learned from Carlisle that he was the one who stole me from him.

"What about him?" I asked grudgingly.

"Well, he too had eyes that color, maybe a little lighter, but still close. I asked him what made them gold and do you know what he said?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me." I lied, of course I knew. Even if I had no idea what she was talking about, I would be able to hear it in her mind.

"He said that he was a vegetarian," she said while laughing, and then her laughter cut off. "You fucking weak disgustingly pathetic creature, you actually quit killing humans, didn't you? I can't believe it, that human made you go soft…Oh please tell me that _she_ isn't your mate."

"What bothers you more, the fact that I had sex with a human, or that she was a far better fuck than you ever were?" I said heartlessly. I turned to walk away, but then I was sucker-punched square in the jaw by Felix, causing my face to crack. I surprisingly never heard him there, or even smelled him, but there was also no way to escape him.

I got up and actually tried to run for it, which is something I never would have done before, but he caught me by the neck, and suddenly everything went black. All of my senses were cut off and even though it was hard to think, I understood enough to know that Alec must have stepped in.

…..

**EmPOV**

"What the hell?" I asked as I saw Edward get taken down suddenly by the big vamp, along with the littler one with the penis shaped haircut. I stood to go after them, when Jasper caught my arm to restrain me.

"We need to leave now."

"What the hell is wrong with you, those guys just grabbed Edward," I said astonished that Jazz wasn't ready to rip their heads off.

"I gave Edward my word that if he got captured and Alec was involved, that we'd leave without him."

"Alec? Who, that big guy?" I asked confused.

"No, that's Felix, Alec is the smaller one," Jazz said.

"The one with the penis haircut?"

"Yes."

"Well, why the hell would we be afraid of him?" I asked irritated.

"Because he can completely anesthetize vampires, making a fight pointless. If we go after them, they'll kill us before we even have a chance to get a single blow in."

"Well we can't just sit back and let them kill Edward," I said angrily.

"They won't kill him, he's too useful to the leaders, but our lives mean nothing to them."

"We have to get him out," I said determinedly.

"And we will, but we're of no help to him if we're dead." Jasper took off running to the outskirts of the city, and I reluctantly followed, though I absolutely hated leaving Edward behind.

Jasper pulled out his cell phone and pushed one button quickly. "Dorothy," he said, and then hung up.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked annoyed.

"Dorothy is our code word," he said vaguely.

"Ok, code for what? Come on man, you have to give me some answers."

"Dorothy is a code word telling Carlisle that our mission had gone wrong, and he needs to move the family right away. It's only a matter of time before Aro touches Edward and learns of the twins' existence, and where they can find them." Jasper explained quickly.

"Where are they moving to?" I asked frustrated that I wasn't in on this plan.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? How the hell are we supposed to find them, if you don't know where they are going?"

"Ok, here's the whole plan," Jasper said while trying to remain calm. "I don't know where they are going because if we get caught, then we don't want Aro to be able to find out their location from our minds. I don't even have a number to call them at, all I can do is press this button on my cell, and it will directly link me to Carlisle's phone. If we get caught, then Aro can't learn the number from our minds, and I'll just crush the phone. What we need to do now, is go to Beijing and kill Demetri so he can't track them to their new location. After Demetri is dead and the family is safe, then we'll try to come up with a plan to rescue Edward."

"Oh…but why didn't you tell me about the plan ahead of the time?"

"Because we knew you would argue about leaving Edward, and you'd attack Alec and get us killed. If we die, then Demetri lives and he'll kill our whole family."

"Well, let's get to Beijing then."

We jumped on a plane and flew east towards Asia. I hated being out of the loop, but I understood why they didn't tell me. I would have never agreed to the plan if I heard it ahead of the time, but now that we were in the middle of it, I could see that it was our family's only chance.

"Why 'Dorothy'?" I asked while we were in flight.

"Edward thought of the name; he said something about comparing things going wrong to a tornado, and the family needed to move someplace to escape the threat. I don't know, it was after some movie."

"Oh, I get it, Wizard of Oz."

…..

We arrived in Beijing, and went directly to the Tuanjiehu City Parkwhere Alice said Demetri would be. And just like in Alice's vision, he was there alone, hunting humans. I didn't even wait to discuss it with Jasper, I just went right up behind him and beheaded him swiftly. Jasper ran up to me and grabbed the body, pulling it out of the view of any humans around.

"That was really stupid, someone could have seen you." Jasper said quietly but sternly as he started a fire in a trashcan.

"Well, I didn't want to give him a chance to escape."

"Shhh!" Jasper said suddenly. A little girl, who was obviously a vampire, walked by on the other side of the park. _'Jane'_, he mouthed.

"She's going to smell the burning vamp," I said quietly as Demetri's arm started twitching in my hand. "Ugh," I said and threw the limb in the fire.

"Hurry, throw the rest of him in quickly and we need to get out of here," Jasper said in a rush. As the smell of burning vampire hit the air, I could see the childlike vampire take notice, so we left in a flash.

"Ok, now what?" I asked as we hopped on a train.

"Now, we need to think of a way to get Edward." Jasper picked up the cell phone and pushed the button again. "The broom is burned," he said, then hung the phone back up.

We flew back to Italy and snuck back into Volterra. The city was surprisingly bursting with vampires; I had never seen so many vampires in one place before.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked Jasper.

"It looks like some kind of vampire convention or something. This must be the reason why Aro wanted Edward. With so many vampires around, I'm sure he would want Edward to _listen _to all their minds for him."

"Ok, so we wait them out," I said.

"This could last months for all we know. We need to think, and perhaps even get some backup."

* * *

***Please Review***


	23. Ch 22 To Death

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 22 –_To Death_~

BPOV

"Hey Munchkin, what are you doing just sitting there, why aren't you playing with Carlie and Jacob?" I asked EJ. He was just sitting on the porch bench, intently watching Jacob and Carlie playing tag, which wasn't like him.

"I don't have time to play, daddy said that I needed to protect you and Carlie," EJ said seriously.

"Ok, but why aren't you playing?" I asked confused.

"Mom, how well do you know Jacob?" he asked unexpectedly. It was very odd having such a serious conversation with someone who is the size of a toddler and less than two months old, but then again, everything in my life had been wonderfully odd since meeting Edward.

"I've known him all my life…why?"

"Have you ever done a background check on him?" I couldn't help but laugh at my son, even though he was extremely intense in his question

"What's going on sweetheart, why are you concerned about Jacob all of the sudden?"

"I just think we can never be too careful. What about Carlisle, maybe he's really a Volturi spy."

"You know, for such a little boy, you sure do have the weight of the world on your shoulders," I told him.

"Daddy needs my help, and I'm going to make sure that I help him as much as possible. Now that he's gone, I need to make sure that you and Carlie are safe."

"Honey, daddy will be home soon and I'm sure that he's fine, so you don't have to worry," I tried assuring him.

"Mommy…he's not going to be fine."

"What? EJ, what are you talking about?"

"After he left, I took Auntie Alice's visions and I saw him get captured."

"Why wouldn't Alice say anything?" I asked him worriedly.

"I don't think she saw it. She was watching Aro's decisions and Demetri, but I was watching daddy, and he got captured."

I started to panic. "Ok, what exactly did you see?"

EJ didn't have time to answer me; Carlisle came running out of the house. "We need to leave _now_," he said in a rush.

"What's going on Carlisle?" I asked, but terrified that I already knew.

"I just got a call from Jasper. Something went wrong, I'm not sure what, but I do know that we need to leave right away," Carlisle said.

"EJ said that he had a vision of Edward being captured," I told him.

"Well, that would definitely be a reason for us to need to hide." I put my hand over my mouth to try and conceal my horror. "We need to make sure the children are safe, and then we'll find a way to save Edward. Aro won't kill him; he's too important and useful."

Everyone was in rapid action. We only packed the things that were irreplaceable, and then we left everything else behind. I called Renee told her goodbye, and she and Phil went to Florida try to hide from the Volturi there. Carlisle received word from Jasper that Demetri was dead, so we had high hopes that the Volturi wouldn't be able to find us in our new location.

We headed south, and ended up in the Brazilian rainforest. Even though vampires didn't need the comforts of human dwellings, it was really difficult living with two small children and having no beds to put them to sleep in. We didn't want to draw attention to ourselves by having a real house built, so we just set up some tents for the time being.

"Mommy, how long are we going to be here for?" Carlie asked me.

"I don't know baby," I told her emotionlessly. It was hard to remain positive when Edward was so far away and I didn't know whether he was OK or not, but I continued to try unsuccessfully.

"Any word?" Rose asked Carlisle as he walked into view. I had to keep reminding myself that Rose and Alice both had missing mates as well, but it was hard to think around _my_ pain long enough to see other's.

"No, I just hope Jasper and Emmett don't try anything reckless."

Alice had been mostly quiet since Edward was taken. I think she was upset that she didn't see it, and if she had any visions since then, she didn't tell us about them.

Rose was brushing Carlie's hair, and EJ was with Jacob in the woods chasing small creatures around, when all of the sudden Carlie became very afraid.

"No Daddy, don't!" she screamed and clung to Rose.

"What's wrong baby?" I scooped her up and held her tightly against me.

"Daddy's fighting Uncle Emmett," she cried into my shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" I asked concerned.

"EJ is thinking about it. STOP IT EJ, STOP!" Carlie yelled.

"Jacob, bring him back," I said casually, knowing he could hear me.

Jacob came back into our camp, and was pulling EJ by the arm.

"No, let me go." EJ said, trying to get out of Jacob's grasp.

"EJ, what's going on, why are you thinking about daddy fighting Uncle Emmett again? I thought you were over that." I knew that he was afraid of Edward right after he was born from witnessing Edward attack Emmett, but since then he had become like Edward's shadow, and completely idolized him.

"I _am _over it; Carlie is just a big baby." EJ said angrily.

"Nah uh, EJ is lying. He wasn't thinking about daddy fighting Uncle Emmett after we were born, daddy was fighting him in the future, EJ had a vision of it, not a memory."

"Carlie is right," Jacob said cautiously, "EJ's face went blank for a few moments when we were out there."

"You always take her side," EJ said bitterly to Jacob. "I hate you, why'd you have to come here with us?"

EJ started running off, but I caught him. "Tell me what's going on, this isn't a joke," I said sternly.

"They don't know what they're talking about. Daddy's fine, they just need to mind their own business, especially Carlie. It wasn't her vision, and I hate that she can hear my thoughts."

Carlisle bent down to get closer to EJ's level, so I let him go, giving Carlisle a chance to talk to him. EJ looked up to Carlisle and I knew that if anyone could get through to him, it was his grandfather.

"EJ, if your daddy needs help, or Uncle Emmett, then you need to tell us so we can do what we can to help them," Carlisle said to EJ.

"No one can help them but me; I need to go there and save him."

"That's enough!" I said sternly. "You aren't going anywhere, and you better start explaining."

EJ looked at me like I was crazy. I never really yelled at him before, and he was shocked by my sudden outburst.

"The lady made him do it," he started crying, "Daddy's not bad, but the lady made him forget."

"Forget what?" Carlisle asked.

"Forget that he loves us."

"It's Chelsea," Carlisle said. "She's broken his bond to us, and tied him to Aro."

"I thought Chelsea's gift wasn't strong enough to break the mating bond," Esme said.

"But it wasn't just Chelsea," EJ said finally. "There's another one, one that can make vampire's gifts stronger. I need to go there so I can take their abilities and make daddy love us again." EJ said desperately.

"No honey, you can't go, but your vision is of the future, so that means it hasn't happened yet and there's still time to stop it," I told him. "Carlisle, Esme, can I speak with you privately please?"

The three of us walked out of hybrid hearing range, so I could ask them my question.

"I need to go to Volterra."

"Bella, that's not such a good idea. If there is a vampire that can amplify the gifts of others, then Edward's bond to Aro will be too strong."

"But it hasn't happened yet."

"Edward wouldn't want you going there, he asked me to keep you from doing anything rash."

"Look, if there is even the slightest chance that I could get there in time to save him, then I'm going to take it. But, I need to know that my babies are safe and taken care of if I don't make it back."

"Bella, you know you can count on us for that," Esme said.

"If you're going to go, then I need to go with you," Carlisle said unexpectedly.

"No, I have that blocked mind thingy, so I'm the only one who Aro won't be able to discover this location from. Carlisle please, I need you to stay with the twins."

Carlisle sighed, because he knew I was right. "We will protect them with our lives."

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

I grabbed a change of clothes and my passport, and was ready to leave.

"Hey, don't get yourself killed over there," Jacob said, trying to remain light but I could hear the worry in his voice. We hadn't really talked much since he made his disturbing wolfy claim on my daughter, even though I knew his feelings for her were innocent, so it was awkward but I was glad he was there to help protect my kids.

"Yeah, I'll try not to die," I said sarcastically.

"You know that you mean a lot to me, and I just don't want you getting hurt," he said frustrated by my standoffish attitude towards him.

"Well, I care about you too, and maybe if you manage to keep my kids safe while I'm gone, I just may forgive you for your involuntary actions," I said, but smiled at him despite myself. If Edward didn't see much of a problem with him, then I guess I should try to let my grudge go as well.

I kissed my kids and hugged them tightly before leaving on my way. I didn't say goodbye because I fully planned on returning to them, but it was still difficult to leave.

I arrived in Volterra the next day and I immediately picked up on Jasper and Emmett's scents, but they led to the gates of the Volturi compound. I hadn't been back to Volterra since becoming a vampire and my human memories of the place were fuzzy, but I remembered enough to know my way around. I didn't know exactly what happened to Emmett and Jazz, but they were definitely inside the compound at some point, so I decided to go inside as well.

The place was swimming with vampires. I had never seen so many vampires in all my life, and I doubt I ever would again. But the numerous amount of vampires meant that a strange vampire walking down the halls, such as myself, could go unnoticed.

I recognized a few vampires as I walked, but none of them even batted an eye at me. When Edward used to take me for walks around the compound, the vampires all saw me as being beneath them, so they hardly paid attention to me, but now I was on their level so most would even greet me by bowing their heads or smiling a hello. Edward always described vampires as animalistic in a way, but everyone that I came across was uniquely friendly and in oddly good spirits.

I walked to Edward's old chamber, and was surprised to find the door wide open. I cautiously walked in and could smell his fresh scent; he had to have been in the room within the few hours prior. I looked around the room, and my fuzzy memories of the place became more clear. We spent so much time in that room, and I could remember being so afraid of him in the beginning, only to have that fear melt away to pure passionate love. Edward had changed so much since leaving Volterra, and I wondered what being back could have done to him, even without Chelsea's influence.

I fell in love with Edward in that small room, and there was a tiny part of me that missed being locked in there where he was literally my entire world, but finding him and returning to our family was the absolute most vital thing.

I followed his scent out of the room, and down the hall. I had walked the halls before with him, but I had never been in the area where his trail was leading me. The hall was crowded, and they were all walking towards where I could smell Edward being. I followed the crowd and was absolutely shocked to see a huge underground arena packed full of excited vampires. I sat like everyone else was doing, and waited confused as to what was going on.

"Ladies and Gentlvamps, welcome to the first annual World Vampire Games!" A vampire announced from the center of the arena. _Were they really having vampire Olympics? _The thought was actually ridiculous. I never saw the Volturi leaders before, but they were easy to spot. The three of them were sitting on the highest level of the stands, and they were lavishly dressed and heavily guarded.

"Up first, on the left side, straight from Ireland, please welcome LIAM!" The announcer said, and everyone cheered and some held up Irish flags. "And on the right side, hailing from the great country of Egypt, please welcome, AMUN!" Again, the crowd cheered and some held Egyptian flags.

The two vampires eyed each other and paced back and forth for a few moments, before finally lunging at each other. They were similar in size and strength, but after brutally fighting, Liam was left standing.

"Liam, you are the winner," announcer proclaimed. "Do you wish to lose a point and allow your opponent to be put back together, or do wish to have him burned?"

"BURNED, BURNED, BURNED…." the crowd chanted.

"Toss him in the fire," Liam said in a heavy Irish accent, and the masses erupted in cheers.

"NO!" a woman cried out, but she was restrained and taken out of the room.

"Next we have an American," the crowd booed, apparently Americans weren't favored at the event. "JASPER!" _Oh my god! I gasped. _"And his opponent from France, LAURENT!" Hundreds of French flags waved in the air, and everyone was rooting for Laurent.

Jasper and Laurent attacked each other, but Edward always described Jasper as one of the most cunning fighters he ever encountered, and cunning he was. The fight was over quickly, and the crowd was silent as if they couldn't fathom that Jasper beat the favored Frenchmen.

Jasper stood in the middle of the arena and waited for further instruction. I breathed out a heavy sigh of relief, and Jasper suddenly looked around and we locked eyes. He looked panicked at the sight of me, and he peered around more and seemed slightly relieved that Alice wasn't there.

"I think you may have upset the masses," one of the Volturi leaders said lightly. "Now, make your choice. Shall he be reassembled or burned?"

Jasper looked back at me, and I could feel his sorrow. He let me feel his emotions so I'd know that it wasn't really his choice. "Burned," he said gravely.

"Wonderful," the leader said happily. "I do like this fight to the death aspect. New rule, all losers will be burned." And the crowd cheered again, though this time, it was less boisterous.

Jasper was taken back through the door in which he came, and the next fight began. I started to feel numb as I watched fight after fight play out in front of me, and it became terribly obvious that like Jasper, those in battle really didn't want to be there. Some were happy to fight, but most were prisoners forced to fight for their lives. If I could cry, I'd be sobbing. The Volturi compound was so full of violence and death that it made me feel impossibly nauseous, which wasn't something vampires ever experienced. But my nausea was mental as I thought about all the vampires and humans who have died there.

"Isn't this exciting?" a female vampire sitting next to me said.

"No, I think this is sick."

"Oh, was your mate amongst those who lost?"

"No, but I still think all this death is just appalling."

The woman looked at me like I was from another planet or something. I was suddenly grateful that my eyes were still red from being a newborn, even though they had lightened considerably over the month and a half since my rebirth, otherwise, I would have stood out too much in the crowd.

"Well, after this round, the winners move on to battle werewolves; perhaps you'll find that more interesting," the woman said.

"Maybe." I got up quickly and left the arena room. I just couldn't take anymore of the violence at that moment, and needed a break.

I decided to walk back to Edward's chamber and just close myself inside and think about a better time, if only for a few minutes. But when I got there, I was surprised to see the door shut. I nervously opened the door, grateful that locks weren't strong enough for vampires, and peeked inside. The moment the door was open, his scent hit me like a wrecking ball and there he was, looking back at me.

"Edward?" I said cautiously because I wasn't sure if Chelsea had already gotten to him.

"Bella," he said surprised, but definitely happy to see me. I ran into his waiting arms and held him as if my life was dependant on his embrace, and in fact, it really was. "What are you doing here, I asked Carlisle to keep you away?"

"I *needed *to get *you *out of* here," I said sounding out of breath as I kissed him between words.

"Where are the twins?" he asked concerned.

"They're safe with Carlisle and Esme," I assured him. "I saw Jasper, they're making him fight."

"I know, he and Emmett were caught and Aro forced them in the games, but they're strong, I know they'll be fine," he said nonchalantly.

I wondered why Edward didn't just leave because he didn't seem to be restrained in any way, but then I realized that the leaders were probably threatening Emmett and Jasper and he didn't want to leave them.

"How are we going to get them out?" I asked.

"We can't. They just have to win their freedom back by winning the tournaments. Don't worry love, they can do it."

"Ok, so after they win, Aro will just let us all go? Did he touch you, does he know about the twins?"

"Shh, don't worry about that right now. Aro's only concern at the moment, is these battles; we'll figure out everything else later. Aro only wanted me so I could listen to all the minds around here, and make sure none are conspiring against him. Aro isn't a bad man, he just wants to maintain the peace; if I want to leave after this, then he'll let me."

"Are you sure?" I asked warily.

"I can read his mind Bella, I know what he's thinking. Now, why don't you tell me a number that I can call Carlisle at, so I can tell him that you're safe. I would have called sooner but I had no idea how to reach him."

"I don't know the number, I only know where they are so we can return when we're finished here."

"Alaska?" he guessed.

"No, Leon Mexico," I lied. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, it was just the fact that…I didn't trust him. Of course I trusted Edward completely since long before he released me from the confines of his chamber, but he was acting strange, and something about him just felt different.

Edward smiled at me, then caressed my face gently in his hand. "Good girl," he said with a smile, then kissed the top of my head.

"You wanted to see me?" A female vampire said, appearing in the doorway. I vaguely remembered her from before, and I was pretty sure that she was the tour guide girl who would lure humans in to be fed to the leaders. Edward always hated her, but now they seemed to be friendly, which further proved that he has changed.

"I need you to hang here with my mate for a while, until I return. Don't let her out of your sight." Edward ordered.

"Edward, don't do this," I said desperately.

"Don't do what, love?"

"Don't tell Aro where our children are. I know that he used Chelsea to bond you to him, but please, you have to fight it."

Edward walked back over to me, and again, he touched my face gently. "Bella, he doesn't want to hurt them, I told you, Aro is a good man. He just wants to meet them, and maybe study them a little; he's absolutely fascinated by their very existence."

"Edward," I whispered and shook my head subtly, trying to break his trance with the intensity of our bond, but when I looked into his eyes, I didn't see_ my_ Edward looking back. Carlisle feared that if Chelsea's power was amplified with the help of another vampire, then the mating bond would be broken, but it was actually still there. However, his loyalties shifted. I was still his physical mate, but I knew that he would follow Aro's command wholeheartedly, over my wishes. It was like he was hallow and no longer thinking for himself.

"It's Ok, you'll see," he said, and left the room.

I wanted to cry and beg for him to stay, but I knew mourning over that lost bond was useless at that moment, I simply needed to fix it.

"Well, I can't tell you how happy I am that you've returned," the female vampire said after she was sure that Edward was out of hearing range. "I'm Heidi. I doubt you remember me because the human mind is so weak…"

"I remember you," I said emotionlessly.

"Good. Well what you surely don't know is the fact that Edward and I used to be lovers before _you_ came around," she said unexpectedly.

"Okay," I said slowly. I knew that Edward had been with other vampires, and I always suspected that she was one of them, but I had no idea why she was telling me at that moment.

"Funny thing about lovers and mates, a vampire can have many lovers, but once they choose a mate, that's it…._unless_ their mate dies," she said sadistically."He won't be happy about me killing you, but as a reward for bringing Edward back, Aro has promised to have Chelsea bond him to me IF I'm able to kill you first."

She grabbed me at vampire speed, and grasped my neck in her had tightly and started to squeeze. I knew absolutely nothing about fighting, but I quickly saw that neither did she. She never had to fight because she always had others fighting her battles for her, and I had something she didn't…newborn strength.

I reached up to her hand that was holding my throat, and twisted it off of me.

"You bitch, you think you can fight me?" she asked as I continued to wrench her arm.

"I know I can," I said confidently, and I shoved her back into the wall. She recovered, and then hurled herself back at me and I grabbed a fistful of her hair, and ripped it from her head.

"UGH!" she growled at me as I smirked at her with a handful of her silky hair in my hand.

"Hair doesn't grow back in vampires, does it?" I said mockingly.

She jumped at me again, and we wrestled for a moment but it was all a blur as I went solely on instincts. Before I knew it, I somehow had her in a headlock, and I used my extra newborn strength to snap her head off.

When I realized what I had done, I reflexively dropped her head to my feet. "Eww," I said disgusted, and kicked her head across the room. I had no idea what to do next, but then her headless body started twitching, so I ran back after the head and tucked it under my coat. "Let's see how cocky you are without your head," I said before leaving.

As I walked back towards the arena, I passed by a large fireplace with a roaring fire blazing, and I tossed the head in. I felt a little bad for killing her that way, but then I shrugged it off and continued to search out Edward. His scent was all over the place, and I had a hard time trying to figure out his most recent trail, so I decided to go back to the arena.

When I got there, they were just ready to begin a new fight.

"And now, fighting from America, EMMETT!" _oh god._ I glanced up towards the leaders, and saw Edward there, casually talking to Aro. "And his opponent, with the home field advantage, Italy's own, EDWARD!"

I watched horrified as Aro patted Edward on his back, and he came trotting down the steps to the center arena. This was it, this was EJ's vision of Emmett and Edward fighting. Chelsea couldn't remove the mating bond between Edward and me, but she definitely could remove the newly formed brotherly bond Edward had previously felt for Emmett.

Emmett looked just as horrified as I was feeling, but Edward had his old cocky expression which he used to wear constantly when he first locked me in his chamber.

"Remember, it's fight to the death," the announcer said. "GO!"

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***What do you think about the way the story is going? Please give me some feedback***


	24. Ch 23 Last Standing

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: This chapter may upset everyone at first, but please remember that I always have happy endings for _ALL _my top characters, and I have a surprising twist later, so PLEASE don't stop reading. Thanks

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~Chapter 23 –_The Last Standing_~

BPOV

"Remember, its fight to the death," the announcer said. "GO!"

Emmett and Edward started pacing around the arena, Emmett looked fearful, but Edward was smiling as if he was enjoying the idea of killing Emmett. They fought before, but the first time was in Vancouver when they just met and Edward thought he was protecting me, and Emmett was protecting Carlisle. The second fight wasn't much different; Edward was grieving because he thought that I had died. Both were misunderstandings, and neither would have resulted in the burning of the other. But Edward didn't have a conscious anymore, and I knew that he would have no mercy for Emmett. What happens in this fight would solely depend on Emmett. Would Emmett defend himself and actually fight Edward, or would he surrender and let Edward take him out? Either way, it was a lose, lose situation for Emmett, as well as our entire coven.

Edward, of course, made the first move. He grabbed Emmett by the neck and tried to fiercely remove his head, but Emmett was strong, and whether or not he was going to make an offensive strike on Edward remained to be seen, but he wasn't going to let Edward kill him so easily. Emmett threw him off of him forcefully, and suddenly, Emmett became angry. Whatever clicked in his head, made the sensitive big teddy bear which I was used to seeing, turn into the aggressive grizzly that was all force. The fight became brutal, and had they been human, I was sure that blood would have been flying all over the place.

They snapped at each other like animals, their faces were wild and distorted in a way that they were almost unrecognizable. They growled and hissed, filling the arena with the sounds of their vicious attacks, and even bit chunks out of one another. I squeezed my eyes shut from the horrifying sight, but no matter what I did, I couldn't escape the noise. The crowd went wild, so I opened my eyes and saw that Edward had Emmett pinned and had just bitten a large chunk out of Emmett's neck. Emmett was defeated, and with one more bite from Edward, he'd be dead. The awaiting fire burned hotter, and I just couldn't take it anymore.

"EDWARD STOP!" I stood and screamed at him.

Everyone turned to look at me…everyone but Edward. I started to run towards him intending to rip him off Emmett, but someone grabbed me from behind and all I could do was watch, helplessly horror-struck, as Edward took the final blow, detaching Emmett's head from his body.

Edward stood slowly and picked up Emmett's head, and casually tossed it in the fire, as if he was nothing more than a piece of kindling.

The crowd roared with applause, and Edward smiled evilly. "And Italy's own EDWARD is the winner," the announcer said happily.

I started screaming out in the agonizing revulsion I was feeling, and I actually understood how the other vampires felt when they watched their mate get murdered in front of them, because that was exactly what happened. When Edward killed Emmett, he died too. Everything that I loved about Edward was gone, and there was just absolutely nothing left. I was terrified to think that this was the image my children saw, because the horror of this moment would haunt their dreams for the rest of their lives, and I knew for a fact that it would haunt me for eternity.

Whoever had a hold of me covered my mouth so I would stop screaming. "You're lucky that you're Edward's mate, otherwise I'd snap you in half for stepping out of line." I turned to look behind me and saw the largest vampire I had ever seen holding on to me. He dragged me out of the arena and pulled me down the hall, into an elevator and pushed the up button. When the elevator stopped, he carried me down another hall and threw me into a large throne room, which smelled heavily of human blood.

I turned to try to attack the large vampire, but he grabbed my arm and lifted it so I was completely unmovable. I thought about ripping my arm off, but I just wasn't strong enough to do it. After about ten minutes, the doors to the room opened, and in walked the three leaders with Edward trailing behind them.

"You bastard!" I yelled at him, but he just smirked cruelly as I helplessly tried to break free from the large vampire's grasp.

Two of the three leaders sat in the thrones, but the one in the middle stepped forward. "My dear Bella, I've heard so much about you. I'm Aro of course, and we have been awaiting your arrival for some time now."

"Go to hell!" I spat.

"Ooo, she is feisty, isn't she? I can see your attraction, my dear boy." Aro said to Edward, but kept his eyes on me.

"Sir?" A vampire who I didn't know, came into the room. "This was found in Edward's chamber," he said and threw Heidi's headless body on the floor between us.

Aro looked at the body, then looked up at the vampire who brought it in. "Thank you Corin, you may leave." Aro looked back at Edward briefly, then redirected his attention back to me and shook his head while clicking his tongue in a scolding manner. "You have been very naughty haven't you? I'm only going to ask this one time, where is her head?"

I locked eyes with Edward for one long moment, before looking at Aro to answer him. "I burned it."

Aro started shaking like a volcano about to burst, but then he calmed himself, and turned back to Edward. "Heidi…was one of my favorites. Edward, I am very disappointed in your mate, and I would like nothing more than to alleviate the world from her existence, but I will not be haste. I know of your fondness to our beloved Heidi, so I'll leave it up to you. I see much potential in Bella and I believe that she can be of great use to us here, but if you are bitter because of her behavior, we will kill her right now which will free you to pursue a different mate."

Aro waited for a response from Edward.

Edward glared at me momentarily, then responded. "She has become a disappointment, but the truth is that Heidi would have been the only worthy replacement for a mate, and with her gone, I don't have any interest in finding a new one. With some proper persuasion, Bella can be a very good asset here, and with time, I'm sure I can get her to disclose the true location of our children."

"I'll never tell you anything, besides, Carlisle would have moved them by now," I said irately.

"Nevertheless, her mind blocking skill could be useful," Edward said, unaffected by my rage.

"Fine, I leave her under your custody. If I were you, I'd teach her some proper manners before I lose my patience with her." Aro warned, then excused Edward, so he walked over to me and grabbed me forcefully, pulling me back to his chamber.

After tossing me inside, he shut the door behind him and stared at me intently. "Well this is interesting. I really never expected to be back here with you as my prisoner _again_," he said coldly.

"You fucking bastard!" I said venomously.

"I do love that spunk," he said with a malevolent smirk.

"How could you do this, how could you _kill_ Emmett? He loved you like a brother, what do you think this will do to Rose?" I yelled.

"Rose? Oh come now, we both know that that evil wench deserves whatever hell is coming to her."

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's a ridiculous question. THIS is who I've always been, who I was meant to be. Whatever weak pathetic loser you turned me into for a while, was the falsity."

"That's not true. Chelsea and that other vampire did this, they killed your soul when they bonded you to Aro."

"VAMPIRES DON'T HAVE SOULS!" he yelled at me.

"You did, but it's gone now," I started bawling tearlessly.

"Well, soul or no soul, you're still my mate, and you'll do as I tell you," he said emotionlessly, and walked towards me slowly.

"Don't you dare touch me," I warned him.

"You can't fight it, you belong to me forever…that is unless you want to use your newborn strength to kill me."

He continued to walk forward, and I seriously tried to convince myself to fight him off, but it just wasn't possible. He was right, it didn't matter how angry I was, my body yearned to be attached to his; it was purely the physical bond of mates, and fighting it was futile. He grabbed me forcefully and pulled me into him, and unintentionally, and completely involuntarily, I kissed him and reflexively started removing his clothes.

The whole time that he was pounding into me, my mind was spewing hate filled thoughts, but my body reacted as it always did, in total harmonious ecstasy. His actions didn't matter, I achingly craved him, and the thought of being separated from him was physically painful. After we both came in a outburst of agonizing delight, he pulled out and got redressed, while I just laid there feeling disgustingly cheap.

"Oh, cheer up love," he said while leaning over and moving the hair out of my face, which made me jerk away from him bitterly. "I have two more rounds of fighting left, so perhaps I'll get killed and you'll be free of me. You know, everyone says that I'm only the best fighter around because I can hear my opponents' thoughts, but when I fight the mindless werewolf, that theory will surely be tested. Real werewolves aren't like your little buddy Muttboy. He's a shape-shifter, real werewolves are so much more aggressively uncontrollable," he said with a smile of anticipation.

"Edward, please stop fighting," I whispered, because it was all I had left in me.

"Ah, and miss all the fun, no way. But I do love that you're still worried about me despite your hatred."

"I just want to go home," I said quietly.

"This is home," he said just as quietly. Then he stood and backed towards the door. "I'm heading back to the arena, I'm due for a fight soon, but thanks for the fuck. Someone will be around shortly to fetch you so you can be there to support me," and then he left.

I felt numb as I sat there and tried to figure out what the hell just happened. Even though he was forceful he didn't force me to do anything that I didn't want to, because I always wanted him regardless of his behavior. I hated what happened, and I hated that I couldn't control my desire for him, but I couldn't focus on that for much longer, Jasper was still there, and I owed it to the Cullens to try to get him back to them safely.

I picked myself up off the floor, and cleaned up my appearance so I'd look as normal as possible, and walked back to the arena.

"You must be Edward's mate? You were supposed to wait in the room for me," some strange vampire said. "My name is Santiago, you must be Bella?"

"Yes," I said shortly. I didn't know what this vampire could do, and I definitely wasn't about to have a conversation with him.

"Ladies and Gentlevamps, it is now time for round two of the contest," the announcer said. Ten vampires carrying what looked like electrically charged sticks, surrounded the arena. "FIRST we have LIAM!" The Irishman came running out energetically, and the crowd cheered and waved Irish flags.

The announcer left the arena, and the large back doors opened slowly. An extremely large monstrous creature came out, and growled at the audience. He was absolutely terrifying to look at with a darkly colored strong muscular body, which stood upright and walked like a man. His head was a mix of a wolf, lion, and some form of demon from hell. If all that wasn't enough, it was also oozing as if someone poured acid all over the thing. It charged at the audience, but before it could reach anyone, the vampires with the electrically charged sticks shocked it.

Liam looked wide eyed at the creature, but then it attacked him. He wrestled around with it for a while, but the creature landed a bite, which sent Liam convulsing to the floor.

"AND the WINNER is the WEREWOLF!" the announcer said, though I didn't see him anywhere. The vampires with the electric sticks shocked the creature forcing it back through the door, and then the announcer came into view. "As you can see, the werewolf bite is poisonous to vampires."

I looked back at Liam, and he stopped convulsing, but his still body lay shriveled and grey on the floor. I never saw anything like it, and I hoped I never would again, but that was just the beginning of the terror. One by one, sixteen fighters succumbed to the beasts.

"AND now for an American," the announcer said, and my still heart felt like it leapt out of my chest. "GARRETT!" my relief was only temporary because I knew it was only a matter of time until Jasper…and _Edward_ would face the monster.

This fight was different than all the others, this Garrett had a confidence about him which none of the previous fighters seemed to posses. Garrett was quick, and he kept his distance from the creature's massive jaws. At lightning speed, Garrett leapt on the creatures back and twisted his head, breaking its neck. The werewolf fell to the ground defeated. "GARRETT is the WINNER!" and the crowd rejoiced.

"AND the only other American left standing, JASPER!" the announcer announced, and Jasper walked into the arena. The fight began, and it was strange that Jasper's movements were almost identical to Garrett's, and quickly he was on its back and broke its neck, just as Garrett had done.

My ever so cocky sadistic Edward was next. He too, stayed clear of the beast's jaws, but he didn't go for the kill right away, he played with it a bit and smiled as the animal snapped at him. The crowed loved it. Edward had become the crowd favorite, and he was enjoying the attention. After a few minutes, Edward seemed to get bored, and like Garrett and Jasper, he jumped on its back and broke its neck.

In the end, six vampires were all that was left standing after facing the werewolves.

"And for the FINAL round, the remaining vampires will all fight each other simultaneously, the last vampire standing, is the WINNER!"

The six vampires entered the arena, and I knew that there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it, Jasper or Edward, or both, would die in that ring. I watched them intently, and they didn't even look at each other; they could have been total strangers with the way they were acting.

This time, it was Aro who excitedly announced the start of the fight, "Fight to the death, survival of the fittest. GO!"

The group broke out in a massive battle. So much was happening that it was hard to keep track of who was who, and what was even going on. It was all a blur, even for perfect vampire eyes. A haze surrounded the group as the sound of loud growling and metal shredding filled the arena, drowning out every other noise.

Vampires in the stands covered their ears from the agonizing noise, but it became too much, and many left the arena. After a few moments, I realized what the haze was in the air, it was the dust of the vampire bodies which were being broken and shattered to the floor.

Suddenly, the noise stopped.

The haze lifted, revealing the jumbled up dismembered body parts on the floor, and one vampire was left standing. My eyes locked with his, and though I was thankful that he was OK, the agony of my loss was overwhelming.

"Ha! Your mate is dead, now Aro will happily kill you," Santiago said excitedly. I screamed out in the pain I was feeling, and Jasper looked up at me and leapt out of the ring to come to my rescue, but he couldn't get to me before Santiago dragged me out of the room. I could smell the fire behind me as the fallen, including my Edward, burned in the center of the ring, and it made me scream out again. I wasn't the only one screaming, all the mates and covens of the lost fighters were suffering from the unnecessary loss. The 'games' didn't have to end that way, those defeated could have been reassembled and left to fight another day, but Aro's lust for death forced the despair that so many were now feeling.

I was brought back to the throne room, where Santiago retrained me until Aro could come and end my miserable existence. I welcomed death, and I was happy that it was coming. Of course, I loved my children and would have lived for them, but with Edward being gone I just felt hallow, and I wondered how good of a mother I could have been when there was nothing left inside of me. The twins were rapidly growing anyway, and chances were that they'd reach old age by the time they were teenagers. I wouldn't have survived losing them too, so it was better that I was going to die immediately and leave Carlisle and Esme to finish raising them.

The doors opened behind me and I turned to see Jasper being escorted in by Felix. He looked at me sympathetically but otherwise kept his hard expression. Even though I knew we were both going to die, I felt stronger with Jasper there, like I wasn't completely alone.

"Well, that was exciting," Aro said as he and the other leaders, floated in the room. "I did love watching the games; it was the most excitement we have had in centuries. Jasper, I do have to say, you were exceptional; no one expected an American to win the whole event."

"I have much experience in battle," Jasper said coldly.

"Yes, you were involved in America's southern vampire wars during their civil war," Aro said.

"And beyond," Jasper corrected.

"Of course. You do know that newborns armies are against the law," Aro said sadistically, and I hissed unintentionally. "Well, well, well, it seems our young Bella is quite protective of you."

"Just let him go, he didn't do anything wrong," I said aggressively to Aro.

"Bella, my dear, I have no intention on hurting our dear friend Jasper, he has won the tournament and in turn, won his freedom. Of course he is free to go, thank you Jasper, it has been a pleasure."

Felix opened the door to the throne room and stepped aside to let Jasper pass, but Jasper didn't budge.

"Is there a problem, my young friend?" Aro asked.

"I'm not leaving without Bella."

"Jasper, please just go," I begged him. "Rose has already lost Emmett; don't make Alice go through that hell too. The family has lost enough."

"Ah, the bond of coven members," Aro sighed. "I have to tell you, I was shocked when I learned that Edward had left us and joined the Cullen coven, but when he returned to us, I was so pleased. I really thought he was going to win the whole tournament, and I'm so…upset, that I have lost the use of his ability. But it would bring me great happiness to have his children share my home."

"Go to hell!" I said as the venom welled up in my mouth.

"See that attitude has gotten you in trouble my dear, and your mate is no longer with us to stand up for you. Here's what I see happening. Jasper can't return to your coven, because he doesn't know where they are, only you know that," Aro said to me. "So he can leave now and wander around the world and hope to find them within the next few centuries, OR, you can tell him where they are and you will both be free to go back to them."

"If I tell him, then all you have to do is touch him and you'll send your goons after my children before we have a chance to get there." I said.

"Well, you don't think I'd give you your freedom for nothing, do you? Edward thought that you were a gifted vampire and I'd _love_ to utilize those possible gifts, as well as train you to your fullest capabilities, however, I require that your children live here with you. Jasper will be free to go back to the Cullens without further involvement from us." Aro turned to Jasper. "Although, I would love to have you and your gifted mate living here with us as well. Oh, how I've missed my beloved Alice."

"We will _not_ give you the children under any circumstances," Jasper said with determination.

"Fine, I see that we can't come to any form of agreement, so it saddens me to have to end you life today. You have so much potential, but it will never be fulfilled," Aro said to me. "Jasper, you may leave, but please do so quickly…Felix."

Felix let go of Jasper, then started towards me. There was nowhere to run and hiding was impossible; I had no options left, this was it. Jasper didn't leave, he lunged at Felix to protect me, but Jane entered the room and she knocked him down so he was in helpless torture on the ground.

Felix grabbed my neck. "Edward, I love you," I said before everything went black.

* * *

I had no idea what kind of afterlife there would be for vampires, but I definitely wasn't expecting it to look like the inside of a hotel room. I opened my eyes and looked at my strange surroundings, and momentarily thought that it had all been just a dream…but vampires don't sleep, so how could I have dreamed it?

"Hey baby, finally. You've been out for a long time." Renee said.

"Mom?" I asked confused.

"Yeah, you had a pretty big hit, we were really worried about you there for a while."

"Mom, where are we?" I asked.

"Oh, I know, the hotel room is strange, but I didn't want to bring you home because it's being fumigated. Bad timing, or what?"

I sat up and tried to remember what the hell happened to me. "It couldn't have all been a dream," I said, mostly to myself.

"Oh you were definitely dreaming all right. You were yelling and screaming, and flailing all around. I had to get Phil to help me try and restrain you."

"How long was I out for?" I asked.

"A few days, that was some blow you had."

"What blow?" I asked, starting to panic. That was either the most elaborate dream in the history of dreams, or something very strange was going on…or it was some weird afterlife. Perhaps when vampires die, they get their human life back…but that really didn't seem likely.

"You really don't remember anything?" Renee asked.

"No, what the hell is going on?" I asked frustrated.

"Hey now, I can hear you all the way outside," a familiar voice said. I looked behind me, and was grateful to see Jasper there smiling.

"Jasper!" I yelled.

"Yeah, sorry for all the confusion. I would have let you in on the plan, but there was never any time."

"Dude, next time, you're the one who has to die," another familiar voice said as he came walking in the room. "Oh hey, you're finally awake. Good, now we can go home."

I couldn't believe my eyes, it was more unbelievable than the idea of dying and coming back as human.

"EMMETT!" I jumped at him, and hugged him tightly. "I don't understand; what…how…" I couldn't form the proper words to describe my confusion.

"Wow, I love you too," Emmett said as he hugged me back. "See, I knew you'd miss me if I was gone."

"Of course I would, how are you alive, I saw Edward…" I couldn't finish my sentence, because I didn't even want to think about what Edward did to him.

"Well, it wasn't easy. You try having your head removed sometime. It hurt like hell, and I had no idea that vampires could even get headaches." He turned to Jasper. "Are you sure it's back on correctly, it still kind of hurts."

"Dude, you're cool," Jasper assured him.

"No, I saw Edward throw you into the fire," I said in disbelief.

"Yeah, well we had some help with that," Jasper said and pulled the curtain away from the window, and pointed outside.

I looked out, and practically jumped through the window when I saw a very tall Amazonian looking female vampire, talking intently to…_Edward_.

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***All will be explained in the next chapter through Edward's POV. I hope you don't hate me for the twists. Lol***


	25. Ch 24 Betrayal

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: I'm updating quickly because some were confused, so I hope this clears stuff up. This chapter is from Edward's POV, starting at the time he was captured. It's a very **long** chapter because Bella had two chapters of being confused at Edward's behavior, but I wanted to get his POV across in one chapter so everything gets explained.

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~Chapter 24 –Betrayal~

EPOV

Heidi was being annoying, and I really could care less about her little theories; all I wanted was to get back to Bella and our babies. I turned to walk away, but then I was sucker-punched square in the jaw by Felix, causing my face to crack. I surprisingly never heard him there, or even smelled him, but there was also no way to escape him.

I got up and actually tried to run for it, which is something I never would have done before, but he caught me by the neck, and suddenly everything went black. All of my senses were cut off and even though it was hard to think, I understood enough to know that Alec must have stepped in.

…

It felt like I had been in the dark abyss for centuries, but I could have only been there for minutes and I wouldn't have known the difference. Slowly, I started regaining my hearing, though there was nothing to hear because when my sight came back, I saw that I was in a locked dungeon in the chambers.

"Good morning, my young friend," Aro said as he sat in the far corner of the dungeon with Felix, Chelsea, and another vampire that I didn't recognize.

_SHIT!_

"Alec just left the room, so you should be returning to your normal full strength soon. I'm so happy that you've come back, we have all been so worried about you," Aro said in his false pleasant tone.

"Knock the bull, and say what you want to say," I said bitterly.

"Need I remind you that you're in a lot of trouble, so I suggest that you cut the attitude? You gave me your word that the human would not leave the compound alive, so imagine my shock when you show back up here and I touch you to learn what you have been up to since leaving here. Sex with the human, setting her free, steeling another human from a fellow vampire and bringing her to the hospital. The moment you suspected that Bella was pregnant, you should have immediately brought her back here, but instead, you searched out the Cullen coven and yet again, betrayed me by joining them."

"I really don't know what you want me to say, you already know everything," I said, annoyed by his charade.

"I don't expect you to say anything. You already know Chelsea, but let me introduce you to Arianna. Her gift amplifies the gifts of those around her."

I suddenly became worried. I knew that Chelsea wasn't strong enough to break the bonds of mates, but this new vampire could strengthen her.

And then I felt the change.

None of my memories were lost, and I knew exactly what was happening, but I just didn't care anymore. I started thinking over the past few months, and wondered what the hell I had been doing. My life had always been about Aro, and for me to break away like that was ludicrous. Bella was still my mate, but I was angry with her for dragging me away from my master, and I wanted nothing more than to bring her and my children back to Volterra to serve Aro permanently.

"I'm sorry for my betrayal Master, and I understand if you wish to punish me by ending my life," I said to him.

"Why, that would be such a pitiful waste. No, I only wish for your returned loyalty."

"You have it," I assured him.

"Good. Now I want your children here, and we will make sure that we get them; you must trick your mate in telling you where they are."

"Of course, but I have no idea where she went to with the Cullens."

"Don't worry, she will come here to find you," Aro said confidently.

"I instructed Carlisle to keep Bella from coming back to Italy."

"My dear boy, you have a lot to learn. You believe that the bond of mates is weaker than the love shared between humans, but you are so wrong. Mates will comb the planet to be reunited, and it's only a matter of time until your Bella finds her way back here. At that point, you need to trick her into believing that you still wish to return to your life with the Cullens. Once she tells you where the coven is, return to me with the information."

"Yes, Master."

"In the meantime, I have some exciting news. We are hosting the very first world vampire games, and I'd like nothing more than for you to be Italy's champion."

"Why me?" I asked, surprised that he wouldn't pick someone stronger like Felix.

"You are undefeatable. As you know, the world is overpopulating with vampires, and it's time to thin out the masses otherwise our food source will diminish. Having such a large amount of vampires all over the world is very difficult to control, so these games will provide an excellent way to thin out the numbers. It will be fight to the death; of course, we'll make the crowd believe that they chose that."

Aro was brilliant. It was no wonder he had been in control for so long.

"But why me? Surely you have stronger fighters."

"Of course, but strength isn't the best weapon. With your mind reading ability, there is no one who can touch you."

"I'd be honored, Master."

I went to return to my old chamber, but I was stopped by Heidi.

"Feeling better?" she asked smugly.

"Why, yes."

"You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you. Heidi, you really think that just because I'm loyal to Aro again, that I'd want anything to do with you? I mean come on, it's laughable. Regardless of my allegiance, I still have a mate, and vampires mate FOR LIFE!" I yelled at her at the end. I was just so sick of her pathetic attempts at becoming my mate, that being nice about it was just beyond me.

The next day I was walking the halls of the compound, and listening to all the thoughts of the visitors there, when two familiar faces were being escorted by.

_Edward, thank god that you're Ok_ – Emmett thought.

_You need to come meet us in the dungeon so we can come up with some kind of plan_ – Jasper thought. Like that was going to happen.

I felt slightly bad for the two of them, but I couldn't care enough to put too much thought into it. I had no plans on going to the dungeon, but as I continued to boringly walk the halls the next day, I decided it would be a little fun to harass my former 'brothers'.

"Edward, we were starting to wonder if Chelsea had already gotten to you." Emmett said when he saw me.

"Oh, she has," I said casually.

"And you were able to fight it?" Jasper asked confused.

"No, and why would I want to? Eternity with the Volturi is much more appealing than pretending to have human relationships the way the Cullens do."

"Come on Edward, this isn't you," Emmett tried to get to me, but I was too smart for him.

"You know, I hear that my first fight is against you. I really can't wait for that one."

"No, they said I was fighting an Italian."

"What the hell do you think that I am?"

"American. You were born in Boston or something, right?"

"Chicago. But I only lived there until I was seventeen. I spent my entire vampire life here, almost a century, so I'm more Italian than I am a filthy American."

"Edward, you have to fight what you're feeling, think about Bella and what she'd want. You're stronger than this," Jasper said.

I ignored him. "The preliminary fights have been going on all week, but the main event in tomorrow. Well, I hope you've fed recently, but if you were smart, you'd drain those humans to power up for the battle." For every prisoner, there was one human in their cells for them to drain. Most were already killed, but Jasper and Emmet hadn't touched theirs, which was stupid and would make them weak.

I had already killed two humans since being back in Volterra, and I wondered how the hell I ever drank that disgusting animal blood shit.

…..

The morning of the main event arrived, and the whole compound buzzed with excited anticipation. I had never seen so many vampires, but it was interesting to meet so many. Aro led me around and introduced me to all different types of vampires, but had I not had perfect recollection, there would be no way I would have been able to remember all of them. Though my main job was listening to their minds, I was also gaining a large following, all of which would be rooting for me to win the entire tournament.

I watched the first battle, but it was extremely predictable, and a part of me wanted to be surprised at who the final vampires left standing would be, so I went back to walking and listening to the minds of the masses. My turn to fight was coming up, so I went back to my chamber to change my clothes, and after dressing, I was surprised when someone cracked my door.

I was about to yell at who I thought was Heidi, when the most beautiful aroma filled the room.

"Edward?" she said cautiously.

"Bella," I said, surprised to see her. Aro told me that she'd come, but I really didn't expect her so soon. She jumped into my waiting arms and hugged me tightly. I was happy to see her, but the most important thing was getting the information that Aro told me to get. "What are you doing here, I asked Carlisle to keep you away?"

"I *needed *to get *you *out of* here," she said while kissing me between words. A part of me didn't care about Aro in that moment, all I wanted was to make love to her and never stop, but Aro was my master, and he came first.

"Where are the twins?" I asked feigning concern.

"They're safe with Carlisle and Esme," she assured me. "I saw Jasper, they're making him fight."

"I know, he and Emmett were caught and Aro forced them in the games, but they're strong, I know they'll be fine," I said nonchalantly. I really didn't care about Emmett or Jasper, but I pretended to for her benefit.

"How are we going to get them out?" she asked.

"We can't. They just have to win their freedom back by winning the tournaments. Don't worry love, they can do it."

"Ok, so after they win, Aro will just let us all go? Did he touch you, does he know about the twins?" Bella's curiosity has always gotten her into trouble, and I needed to make sure that I kept her from asking too many questions.

"Shh, don't worry about that right now. Aro's only concern at the moment, is these battles; we'll figure out everything else later. Aro only wanted me so I could listen to all the minds around here, and make sure none are conspiring against him. Aro isn't a bad man, he just wants to maintain the peace; if I want to leave after this, then he'll let me."

"Are you sure?" she asked warily.

"I can read his mind Bella, I know what he's thinking. Now, why don't you tell me a number that I can call Carlisle at, so I can tell him that you're safe. I would have called sooner but I had no idea how to reach him."

"I don't know the number, I only know where they are so we can return when we're finished here."

"Alaska?" I guessed knowing that Carlisle was thinking about going there before I left.

"No, Leon Mexico," she said. That was almost too easy.

I smiled at her, then caressed her face gently. "Good girl," I said with a smile, then kissed the top of her head. Bella was smart, but the problem was that she was just too trusting of me, even from the beginning of our relationship.

"You wanted to see me?" Heidi showed up in my doorway and asked. I had told Corin to get Heidi for me, because Aro wanted her to fetch some fish for some of our more important guests, but since she showed up right before I had to leave to fight, I decided to have her watch Bella for me. I knew Heidi hated Bella, but I also knew that she was too afraid of me to try anything.

"I need you to hang here with my mate for a while, until I return. Don't let her out of your sight." I ordered Heidi.

"Edward, don't do this," Bella said desperately. I absolutely hated seeing that look in her eye, but I couldn't do anything about it. Aro was my master, and his wishes needed to be obeyed.

"Don't do what, love?"

"Don't tell Aro where our children are. I know that he used Chelsea to bond you to him, but please, you have to fight it."

I walked back over to her, and touched her face gently again. "Bella, he doesn't want to hurt them, I told you, Aro is a good man. He just wants to meet them, and maybe study them a little; he's absolutely fascinated by their very existence," I told her honestly. I needed to make her understand the importance of having Aro as our master, and I knew it would take time, but eventually she'd have to understand.

"Edward," she whispered, and shook her head slightly. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and whisk her away from there, but I just wasn't physically able to do it. My tie to Aro was just too strong, and my body was unable to cooperate with my inner most desires.

"It's Ok, you'll see," I tried assuring her, and then I left the room. Every step I took away from her was pure agony, but I strongly believed that I was doing what was best for our family.

I went up to find Aro to tell him where the children were, and he was sitting in the stands watching the games.

"Aro, Bella is here and she told me where the children were," I told him.

"Wonderful," he said, and held out his hand for me to touch, which I did. "Your feelings for her are still strong, interesting."

"She is still my mate, by my loyalties are to you."

"Of course they are, I can see that. After you fight, she will probably be upset that you killed your former coven member, so you need to solidify the mating bond and reconnect to her. Once you have done that, it should keep her quiet for a while."

I wasn't exactly sure what he was telling me, "You want me to…have sex with her?" I asked confused.

"Yes. A mating bond is purely physical, and though you may not realize it, Chelsea has weakened that bond between you, so it needs to be reestablished."

"If she's angry with me for killing Emmett, then she's not going to want to have sex with me."

"Your bond is weakened, not broken. Angry or not, she'll respond to your advances, and welcome it. Trust me, my young friend."

I have always respected Aro, even when my loyalties shifted towards the Cullens, but what he told me to do just pissed me off. I fully understood that I was bonded to him because of Chelsea, and that I'd do whatever he told me to do, but I had never been angrier in my life. Bella didn't deserve to be manipulated in that way, and I hated myself knowing that I was going to do it anyway.

The announcer called me to the arena, and I tried to clear my head for the fight, but my anger towards Aro just kept boiling. Aro patted me on the back, but he didn't touch my skin so he didn't hear my growing resentment towards him. I always enjoyed a good fight, and I had fought Emmett before so I knew it would be entertaining, but the truth was that I really didn't want to kill him. But I didn't have a choice, so I plastered on my normal cocky mask to disguise my true feelings.

"Remember, its fight to the death," the announcer said. "GO!"

We started pacing the arena, and Emmett used that time to plead his case.

_Edward, I know that Aro is making you fight, but we have a plan _– Emmett thought.

I smiled at him because I found it humorous that he was risking his entire plan on my lack of care. Though I really didn't want to kill him, that was the rules and that's what I was going to do.

_I'm going to fight you back, but I'm going to let you behead me. Jasper has an old Amazonian friend who's here, and she has the gift of visions. She's going to create the illusion of a fire in front of the real fire that's already there. All you have to do is throw me in the pretend fire and then the Amazonian will pull my body out and reassemble me. Look, I realize that you could tell Aro about this, so I'm risking a lot by trusting you, but I know you bro, you can beat the tie they have on you._

Emmett's confidence in me was about to get him killed, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought. I would not betray my master, and as soon as the battle was over, I'd make sure to throw him in the real fire and tell Aro.

I grabbed Emmett by the neck and tried to remove his head, but he was strong and threw me off of him.

_I'm not your enemy Edward, think about your children, think about Bella watching in the stands_ – Emmett said angrily as we fought.

And that did it. I tried to push away my negative feelings for Aro, but having Emmett bring Bella up while in the middle of fighting, made me became angry with him again. He was forcing me to betray my Bella, and I couldn't stop it…but I could go along with what Emmett was thinking. I didn't have to do anything different, I was still going to behead him, and I was still going to throw him in the fire, but it just so happens that the particular fire that I threw him in, would be an illusion.

_I'm going to give up now, if you throw me in the illusionistic fire, then we'll know that you're going to help us, if not, then just know that I'll always love you like a brother man, and I don't blame you for killing me. _

I had Emmett pinned, though it was way too easy because he let me do it, but before I could make the final blow, he had one last thing to tell me.

_You can't let Bella in on this plan. I know you can avoid being touched by Aro because he's already touched you and won't feel the need to touch you again, but we have no idea how Bella's mind blocking thing works and if she will even be able to block out Aro the way she does with you, so keep her in the dark until we know for sure that Aro can't access her mind. I love you bro, and if this hurts too bad, then know that I will fully retaliate when we get back home._

"EDWARD STOP!" Bella yelled from the audience, and everyone looked at her.

_Now's your best chance, if Bella can't see the illusions that Zafrina creates, then she'll know that the fire is fake, but if you throw me in while she's not looking, she'll think I went in the real fire behind the illusion._

I hesitated.

_Do it NOW!_ – he yelled at me mentally, so I ripped his head off. I stood slowly, feeling like shit, and I glanced at the Amazon woman in the crowd briefly, and saw her nod ever so slightly, so I tossed Emmett's head in the nearest flames to where I was standing.

The crowd roared in applause, so I faked a smile for them. "And Italy's own EDWARD is the winner," the announcer said happily.

I was so confused. I was still loyal to Aro, but surprisingly my bond to Bella and my Cullen brothers was still latently there too. My surface thoughts were all about Aro, but under that, Emmett got to me and I wanted to help them.

Bella started screaming in horror, and my still heart echoed her cries. I wanted to grab her and make her pain stop, but I couldn't do it. I was a slave to Aro's will, and though I was able to not throw Emmett in the real fire, I still did what Aro wanted me to by fighting him in the first place.

Though I hated hearing her so upset, Bella's screams actually helped divert the attention from the ring so I was able to shove the rest of Emmett's body in the fake flames. I watched as Felix covered Bella's mouth to stop her from screaming, and I wanted to run after him and rip his hand off for touching her like that, but I couldn't leave the unburned body of Emmett there. Felix took Bella out of the arena, and I looked up at Aro, and he motioned for me to follow him. I walked slowly towards Aro, and when his back was turned, I turned my back too and saw the Amazon woman sneak Emmett's body out of the false fire. No one saw her, and no one cared. Aro was out of the room so everyone seemed to relax and go about their business.

In the throne room, I could hear Aro's hateful thoughts towards my Bella, and I could feel the hatred radiating off of my Bella for me. I wanted to explain everything, but Emmett was right, we had no way of knowing if Aro could read her mind or not. Aro never attempted to touch me again, because he just had right before the fight and knew my thoughts were loyal to him at that time, so he would never think that my feelings would change so drastically so quickly.

"You Bastard!" Bella yelled at me, so I smirked cruelly at her, just to keep up pretenses. The last thing I needed was Aro getting suspicious and wanting to touch me again after all.

Aro was sadistically enjoying Bella's anger and pain, but the only part of the conversation that I enjoyed was when Corin brought Heidi's headless body in the room. I hated that I left Bella to fight her, but I was so happy she was dead.

Aro's fondness for Heidi took center stage and although he was lying, I went with it. Aro didn't really care about Heidi; he just hated the fact that he was going to have to find a new fisherman. Aro asked my opinion on Bella, so I pretended to be displeased in Heidi's death, and used it to try and get him to touch Bella.

"She has become a disappointment, but the truth is that Heidi would have been the only worthy replacement for a mate, and with her gone, I don't have any interest in finding a new one. With some proper persuasion, Bella can be a very good asset here, and with time, I'm sure I can get her to disclose the true location of our children."

I figured Bella lied about the Cullens being in Mexico, so I tried to make Aro interested in touching her, just so we could see once and for all if Bella's mind was blocked from him. But he didn't touch her, so I had to continue to keep her in the dark about everything, just in case he decided to touch her later.

Aro grew tired of Bella's attitude and he wanted to get back to the games, so he excused me and left Bella in my custody.

I grabbed her and brought her back to my chamber, and as much as my mind and un-beating heart belonged to her, my actions still were cursed to follow Aro's sick commands.

You fucking bastard!" she said venomously.

"I do love that spunk," I said with a malevolent smirk. I hated her anger, but I couldn't risk her knowing the truth so I kept it up.

"How could you do this, how could you _kill_ Emmett? He loved you like a brother, what do you think this will do to Rose?" she yelled.

"Rose? Oh come now, we both know that that evil wench deserves whatever hell is coming to her."

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's a ridiculous question. THIS is who I've always been, who I was meant to be. Whatever weak pathetic loser you turned me into for a while, was the falsity." I would have to remind Emmett of his promise to behead me later, as punishment for my horrid words to my Bella.

"That's not true. Chelsea and that other vampire did this; they killed your soul when they bonded you to Aro." Bella was fighting my lies and still trying to get through to me, so I had to bump it up a notch.

"VAMPIRES DON'T HAVE SOULS!" I yelled at her, and smiled eagerly at the thought of Emmett's hands around my neck and detaching my head.

"You did, but it's gone now," she started bawling tearlessly.

"Well, soul or no soul, you're still my mate, and you'll do as I tell you," I said emotionlessly, and walked towards her slowly. Aro told me that I had to have sex with her, so I had to, but I was hoping that even though she was angry with me, that she would feel my love for her.

"Don't you dare touch me," she warned me, but I physically couldn't stop.

"You can't fight it, you belong to me forever…that is unless you want to use your newborn strength to kill me." And I wished that she would. I grabbed her, and pulled her into me, hoping that the electricity that was still between us would cause her to react to me the way that Aro said she would.

And she did.

She kissed me passionately, and started taking off my clothes. There was a strong smell of anger mixed with arousal radiating off of her, and as much as I hated taking advantage, I didn't have a choice. Aro told me that I had to, my body told me that I had to, and so did hers. I absolutely needed to be inside her in every way, her smell was intoxicating and I lost all control.

I could feel her coming, which made me come too, and it was pure agonizing delight. Afterwards, I got redressed quickly because I knew I was due to be back in the arena, but I knew she was upset and I hated myself for not being able to fix it.

"Oh, cheer up love," I said while leaning over and moving the hair out of her face. "I have two more rounds of fighting left, so perhaps I'll get killed and you'll be free of me. You know, everyone says that I'm only the best fighter around because I can hear my opponents' thoughts, but when I fight the mindless werewolf, that theory will surely be tested. Real werewolves aren't like your little buddy Muttboy. He's a shape-shifter, real werewolves are so much more aggressively uncontrollable," I said it rudely, but I was really trying to tell her goodbye in case I really was killed.

She asked me to stop fighting, but that was out of my hands. Somehow, I was managing to do everything Aro told me to do, at the same time as trying to go along with Jasper and Emmett's plan. It was difficult, but it was my only choice. I needed a way to break the ties that bonded me to Aro, and I needed to do it soon so I could get down on my knees and beg Bella to forgive me.

I went to the back of the arena where the rest of the fighters were, and I could feel the fear radiating off of them. I saw Jasper in the far corner, and he was talking with another vampire with sandy colored hair.

Jasper peered at me briefly, and then started explaining the next step of their plan in his head.

_Emmett is fine, Zafrina's coven members are putting him back together again, but she's going to help us create more illusions. After the werewolves are killed, we will have to fight each other. When we are finished fighting, Zafrina will create more fake fire. All we have to do is survive the wolves, though I have no idea how._

I walked over to him casually and turned my back to him, so I was facing the back wall. Aro never said that I couldn't help anyone, so I was free to make that decision myself.

"You have to get them from behind. Jump on its back then break its neck. Stay clear of its mouth because its bite is poisonous to vampires." I whispered so low that only Jasper and his friend would be able to hear me. Although I had never actually been up against a werewolf before, Caius was terrified of them and forced all Volturi guard members to know how to defeat them, in case we ever had to protect him from one.

_I know this is hard for you Edward, but you're doing well_ - Jasper tried to encourage me.

One by one, vampires would go up against the beasts, but they didn't comeback. Garrett seemed nervous, but Jasper sent a wave of calm over him. Garrett left when it was his turn, and we could hear the crowd roar when he defeated the wolf. He came back and thanked me mentally for telling him how to defeat the monster. Jasper and I both defeated our werewolf as well, and it was on to the next round.

Six vampires were left standing, and we all had to fight each other for the right to live. We went out to the ring, and Jasper and I refused to look at each other. Garrett understood that he would not really be thrown in a fire at the end, so he didn't fight as hard as the rest of us. A haze of vampire dust swept over the ring as we fought, and Jasper and I were all that was left standing.

_Take me out, and then distract Aro so Zafrina can remove our bodies_ – Jasper thought, but I was mentally tired. I just physically couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't allow Aro to make me hurt Bella again.

"No," I said lowly. "Neither of us has to be taken apart. I'm going to lie down and just let the haze and dismembered body parts cover me until the fake fire can hide me completely. I need to get to Bella somehow, but she still hasn't been touched by Aro, so don't tell her yet."

I didn't give Jasper a chance to argue, I just laid down and grabbed a few legs and arms to cover me. Jasper stood the winner, and then we were on to the real battle…escaping.

The crowd in the arena started dissipating because the games were over, and Zafrina somehow got me and the four dismembered vampires out of the arena. I wasn't sure if she was using another illusion in order to not be seen, but the logistics really didn't matter to me in that moment, I needed to get to Bella.

"I need your help again," I told Zafrina. Her coven members came to collect the bodies of the other vampires, including Garrett, and they took them away to be reassembled.

"Of course," she said in a heavy accent.

We ran to the throne room where I knew they would be, but we were too late. As we ran closer, I could hear from all their minds what was happening. Jasper was suffering on the ground under Jane's wrath, and my Bella was just beheaded.

"Zafrina" I said quickly.

She used her illusions on everyone in the room, and recreated a scene which was exactly the way that it was in reality, except her vision for them had a fake Jasper and Bella. Zafrina and I were able to move around the room undetected, and the real Jasper was released from Jane's torture. He stood and looked around the room, but no one else saw him, because they were left in the illusion. I pointed towards the door because I knew that though they couldn't see us, they would still be able to hear us. My stomach churned as I picked up the two pieces of Bella, and froze as Felix did the same with the false Bella that Zafrina had created. Since I wasn't in the vision with them, it just looked like Felix was picking up nothing, but he fully believed that he had her.

_We need to leave now_ – Jasper thought, but I hesitated. The moment Zafrina was gone, Aro and the rest of them would realize that they had been tricked, and I wasn't sure if we would have enough time to fully escape.

_I will stay behind and keep them in the vision until they believe that they have disposed of the bodies_ – Zafrina thought to me. Thank god.

I mouthed thank you to her, and Jasper and I took off.

"Where are we going?" I asked as soon as we were out of the Volterra city limits.

"We're meeting Senna and Kachiri to pick up Emmett, and then we need to get back to the states. I bought a small private plane and it's waiting for us at the airport." Jasper explained.

When we picked up Emmett, his head was reattached, but he was still unconscious as he was continuing to mend.

"Shouldn't he be fixed by now?" I asked worriedly because I knew Bella had to go through the same process.

"The head takes longer. When you tore off Emmett's arm before, it took him a full day for it to reattach. The larger the limb, the longer it takes; fingers will refuse in just a few hours."

"Is she in pain?" I asked Jasper, because he seemed to know.

He shook his head. "I was only beheaded once in my early days of war, but I don't remember anything from it, though she may be sore and confused when she wakes up. We'll see as soon as Emmett wakes."

Zafrina showed up soon after we got there. "They believe that both Jasper and Bella have been burned."

"Thank you," I told her sincerely, and then we all went to the airport.

Jasper flew the small plane, and Bella's head began to reattach while in flight, but it was still a weak connection so we tried not to jostle her much. We landed in Florida, and went straight to a hotel. Bella was the only one who knew where the Cullens were, so we had to wait for her to wake up, before we could go any further.

We got a room, and laid Bella and Emmett on the beds until they could wake up. Jasper went to discuss some things with Zafrina, when he came back a few minutes later.

"Look who I ran into," he said, and Renee followed him into the room.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We live here now..well not here, but in Florida. Our house is being fumigated, so we've been staying here for a few days. I wish our house was done so we could bring Bella there." She looked at Bella, and turned to Jasper. "Are you sure she'll be Ok?" she asked worriedly.

At that moment, Emmett started moaning, and moving around. "Yep," Jasper told Renee.

…..

Renee and Phil stayed by Bella's side, so the non vegetarian Amazon coven stayed outside. The next day, Jasper came into the room to talk to me.

"Emmett was very confused when he woke up, and I'm pretty sure that Bella will be too, perhaps it would be best if Renee stayed close and help ease her back to reality," Jasper suggested.

"That's probably a good idea," I said to him.

"Dudes, I the Amazons want to go home. They asked me to get you guys to go out to say goodbye." Emmett said.

The three of us went outside, and Jasper was the first to give them his regards. When he was finished, he went back into the hotel room, and Emmett took his turn.

"Well, thanks for, you know, putting me back together and stuff." Emmett said uncomfortably to the only females he had ever come across who were taller than him.

"You are welcome strong one, and please, come visit us in the Amazon sometime," Zafrina said.

"Will do," he said uneasily, then went back into the hotel room.

"I really don't know how to thank you," I told Zafrina.

"You are truly special, to be able to fight through the bonds that Chelsea has you under," she said in her heavy accent.

"I still don't understand how I was able to do that," I said to her.

"Well, besides the fact that I killed the vampire that was amplifying Chelsea's power, your love for your family was much stronger than any tie Chelsea could force on you. You only had to force yourself to make that choice."

"Well, I'm eternally grateful for your help. We would not have made it out of this alive without you."

There was a bunch of commotion inside the hotel room, and I turned just in time to see Bella come running out of the room, and she leapt into my arms. I had never been so happy in all my eternity, then having her safely in my embrace.

"Bella," I whispered, but she shut me up by pressing her mouth to mine forcefully. Somehow two vampires with perfect balance, fell over to the ground and we just laid in each other's arms and kissed with the ferociousness of a tornado.

There was still so much to explain, and even more begging for forgiveness left for me to do, but in that moment, all that mattered was staying completely locked to her.

* * *

***Ugh, that was a long one. **

**Just to clear up a few points, Bella could not see Zafrina's visions, but from where she was sitting, it looked like Edward threw Emmett's head in the real fire which was behind the fake one. As for the second fire where Edward was supposed to be burned in, she was taken away before that fire started, and she only smelled fire as she was dragged away, which could have been from the real fires in the room.**

**I hope that it wasn't too confusing, but if so, please ask me and I'll write back to explain further. But if you liked it, let me know in the reviews. More still to come, thanks for reading.***


	26. Ch 25 Being Human

**Finding Heaven**

**A/N: **So, I had problems uploading the last chapter, hopefully this one goes smoother lol. If you still didn't get a chance to read chapter 24 _Betrayal_, which was EPOV on everything that happened in Volterra, then make sure you go back and read it, because A LOT goes on. Sorry about all the confusion, and thanks for sticking with me.

* * *

~Chapter 25 – _Being Human_~

EPOV

"GET A ROOM!" Emmett yelled at us as we laid tangled on the ground outside the hotel. I had no idea how long we were there for, but neither of us cared either.

"THIS IS A HOTEL, ROOMS ARE EASY TO FIND…COME ON, YOU'RE SCARING THE HUMANS!" Emmett was relentless.

I pulled my lips away from hers, and she whimpered slightly in protest. "We need to get home," I said softly.

"Is Chelsea dead?" she asked unexpectedly.

"No, I don't think so, why?"

"How do I know this isn't some elaborate plan to learn the whereabouts of our children so you can tell Aro how to find them?"

I nodded my head slightly, "I'm glad you're not so trusting of me anymore."

"Oh yeah, and why's that?" she said with a smile.

"You have always been far too trusting of me, and look where that's gotten you. I was a man eating vampire fully intended on killing you, but there you were, a fragile little human trying to steak me one moment, and the next we were making love. Now you're stuck living as a vampire for the rest of eternity with me. I feel sorry for you really," I tried to sound serious, but she just laughed at me.

"Well, consider me suspicious," she said sarcastically.

"How about you blindfold me so I have no idea where we're going, and then when we get there, you'll just have to never leave my side so you'll know for a fact that I haven't snuck away to call Aro."

"That sounds like a really good plan, especially the part where I never leave your side."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that part," I said with a smile and started kissing her again.

"You know, this would be a whole lot better if we didn't have any clothes on," she said with a seductive grin.

"Since this is a high trafficked public place with your mother standing over there, I think us being naked would be somewhat offensive," I said lightly.

"That's Ok, maybe you can do that compel thing where you can force humans to forget stuff."

"Now, who watches too much TV?" I teased her.

"Hey, that's a good show, inaccurate, but still good."

"We really do need to be going," I said and forced myself to get up and pull her up with me.

"Ok, I need to say goodbye to my mother, and then we'll head to the airport." She walked back to the room and dragged me by the hand, refusing to be separated from me, and I felt exactly the same way.

Bella promised her mother that she'd call her whenever it was safe to do so, and then we left to the airport. Although Bella acted like blindfolding me was a joke, she did separate from me just long enough to talk to Jasper and Emmett privately so I couldn't hear their plan. Jasper and Emmett were both good at concealing their thoughts from me, so I never got any hints as to where we were going. Jasper flew the plane, so I didn't even have the luxury of a stewardess announcing where our destination was.

I understood why they weren't being forthcoming with me, but it was still slightly irritating, so Bella distracted me by spending the majority of the flight in the tiny bathroom. Making love in the closet sized room where we had to work around a sink and toilet, wasn't easy, but it was better than not having sex at all. When we first went in there, Emmett kept yelling at us that he could still hear us, but after a few hours, he gave up and ignored our huffing and moans of bliss. We had to be careful though, because the last thing we needed was to punch a hole in the airplane in the fits of passion. But I really didn't mind being gentle, it was just like it was when I made love to her as a human, and with all the violence during our time in Volterra, the peaceful tenderness was a welcome relief…even if it was in a bathroom.

"Lady and gentlevamp," Emmett's voice came over the speaker as Bella and I were still making love in the bathroom, "We will be making our final decent momentarily, so please put away all electrical devices such as cell phones, laptops, and over worked penises, and return to your seats."

"Don't forget that I ripped your head and arm off before, and I can do it again!" I yelled at him as we grudgingly got dressed.

We exited the bathroom, and Emmett made a face of disgust as we came into view. "Great, now we have to sit here and smell your venom based fucking fluids all over each other. Isn't there a shower or something in that toilet closet?"

"Oh Emmett, don't be jealous. You'll have Rose's fluids all over yourself soon enough," Bella told him. Emmett grinned in anticipation, and Jasper and I both gagged.

"So how are you feeling, Edward?" Jasper asked me while he prepared the plane to land.

"I'm not the one who had my head removed, so you should be asking Emmett and Bella that question." I joked, even though I knew exactly what he meant by his question. Chelsea was still alive, and she didn't remove the ties that bound me to Aro, so there was a small part of me that hated leaving Volterra and wanted nothing more than to go back, but that small part was becoming smaller with every mile between us, and it was absolutely nothing compared to my devotion to Bella. I loved what she loved, and she loved the Cullens so I knew I'd never betray them again.

"I'm fine Jasper, I swear," I assured him. Jasper was one of the smartest vampires I had ever met, both in battle and in life, so he didn't trust me completely and I didn't expect him to, but he was trying.

I looked out the window as we neared the ground, and Bella came from behind me to wrap her arms around my waist while resting her chin between my shoulder blades. I rubbed her hands as she rubbed my stomach, and we just breathed together as her body was pressed up against my back.

"I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too," I said with every ounce of my being.

….

"So Bella, how far out is the camp?" Emmett asked as we walked out of the airport.

I wasn't exactly sure what country we were in, but it was obvious that we were south of the equator and it was a forested location.

"It's…."

_Daddy, we're coming!_ – Carlie's thoughts rang in my head.

"What is it?" Bella asked me when she saw me listening carefully. Jasper and Emmett looked at me also, and waited for me to respond.

"They're here," I said, which only confused them.

"Where?" Jasper asked, ready to fight.

"Not the Volturi, the Cullens and the kids, they're here. Alice had a vision of us arriving and so they came to greet us," I told him.

And then, there they were.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Carlie and EJ yelled together as they ran towards us. Bella and I ran to meet them, and we each swept one of them in our arms, hugged them tightly, and then switched.

It felt so good holding my babies and being with the Cullens again, that I realized that it didn't matter where we were because as long as we were all together, we were home. As much as I kept telling myself that I was only with the Cullens for Bella and the kid's sake, the truth was that I really did care about all of them deeply.

Bella and I took turns holding each of the kids as we walked towards the outskirts of the little town that the airport was in, and I didn't think it was possible to feel any happier. I even smiled to myself seeing Jasper and Emmett back safely with their mates. I loved Alice, she was my sister in every sense of the word and I loved her longer than any other, but after the viciously traumatic experience Emmett, Jasper and I had been through together in Volterra, I realized that those two guys became closer to me than any natural sibling could ever be.

_Again, with the false human relationships_- I shook my head at the thought, but smiled despite myself. I really didn't care about my pride anymore; all that mattered to me in the entire universe was walking away from the airport with me.

Carlisle bought a big off-roading wilderness van, and we all piled in. We could have ran faster than that stupid van could take us, but it was better not to leave our scent trails as we went.

"Momma, what did it feel like to not have a head?" Carlie asked Bella.

"Uh…" she looked at EJ who pretended to not be listening, but I could hear that he was hanging on her every word. "I don't know, I don't remember anything from then."

"She's lying Carlie, Uncle Emmett said it hurt like hell," EJ said casually.

"EJ!" Bella scolded him.

"What, it's true."

"Can _my_ head come off?" Carlie asked worriedly.

"No dummy, we have blood in our bodies, so it would kill us permanently to have someone tear off our heads the way daddy did to Emmett."

"EJ…" I wanted to explain to him what happened in Volterra, but really, the truth was more horrifying than anything make-believe that he could come up with in his mind.

"That's Ok daddy, I understand," EJ said as if he could read my thoughts. _Damn it. _"Damn it, isn't a nice thing to say," he told me.

"I didn't say it, I thought it. Bella?" she understood what I wanted her to do immediately, so she grabbed EJ's hand, then released it.

"Momma, that's not fair. Uncle Jasper told me to listen to daddy's thoughts."

Bella and I both looked at Jasper disapprovingly, at the same time. He shrugged sheepishly. "You can never be too careful, right?"

I wasn't upset with Jasper at all, we both knew that I was in constant battle within myself to keep my insignificant tie to Aro under control, so it was actually a good plan of his to try to get someone to keep tabs on my thoughts. But EJ was too young for that responsibility, and the fact that he was my son, only made it worse.

For the rest of the car trip, every time that EJ would touch me, whether it was a show of affection or on accident, Bella would immediately touch him afterwards. I was glad that he was able to absorb Bella's mind blocking gift so he'd lose my ability to read thoughts, but it also meant that I couldn't hear his thoughts and I hated not knowing what he was thinking.

We drove in the forest for about three hours before we pulled up to a little camp site, where a huge wolf was pacing anxiously.

_Thank god_ – Muttboy thought in relief. He wasn't grateful that we were back from Italy safe, he was just relieved that there wasn't some kind of ambush and I took Carlie back to Aro. Stupid fucking mongrel.

"Ah, I missed you too pup," I teased him as we all got out of the van.

_And just how many humans did you kill in Italy? I'm sure you won't tell me_, _and none of them will question you on it, but your eyes were almost gold when you left, and now they're back to bright red_. – Jacob was angry at me, which I couldn't really blame him for, but his feelings were the least of my concerns.

"Well, I can tell you of one very large werewolf that I killed," I said mockingly.

"Ah, I forgot about the werewolves, it's so unfair that I missed that," Emmett complained.

"Another day, another battle," Jasper said to him.

"I bet they were really cool though, huh?" Emmett asked.

"They were huge and oozing all over the place," EJ said excitedly to him.

"You saw that too?" I asked him incredulously.

"I was the only gifted vampire here, so no one else was able to give him a different ability," Alice said, feeling guilty about it.

"What else did you see?" Jasper asked him.

"Well, daddy met a lot of vampires, mommy took off some female's head then threw it in a fire, mommy was yelling at daddy then they started kissing and wrestling around, then daddy pretended to be dead…."

"Ok, that's enough," Bella said horrified that EJ had seen everything, especially the sex and killings.

"We all got a detailed play by play of everything that happened," Carlisle explained. "We were very worried and I was about to come try to help, but EJ and Alice both had visions that it would all turn out OK."

_They saw you turn into a total sadistic freak, so how do we know that you're really back to normal?_ – Jacob thought angrily.

"You don't," I said to him with an evil grin. It would be beneficial for many years to come if Jacob thought that I could snap at any moment and go to the dark side. Perhaps it would even keep him in line when Carlie came of age.

Over the next few weeks, we slowly became more and more comfortable in our jungle houseless home. We didn't really need human dwellings, and the kids had a tent to sleep in, which they loved. We all just spent our time reconnecting as a family, playing with the kids, and being with our mates. There were no bedrooms to be alone in, so whenever a couple wanted mating time, we'd just go off into a secluded area of the forest….and there was _a lot_ of mating going on.

We also spent the time of jungle living to teach the kids how to hunt. There was no more donated blood and they were strong enough to face animals without getting hurt, though animal blood was not the easiest thing to get used to after only drinking human blood.

"It's gross," EJ said after catching his first animal.

"Trust me son, I know," I told him. After killing a few humans in Volterra, I thought going back to animal blood would have been more difficult, but it actually wasn't too bad. Mind over matter.

….

"Momma, are we going to live here forever?" Carlie asked, but Bella didn't have an answer, because none of us knew for sure. Alice wasn't having any visions, and we worried about going back to more normal living situations because we were still afraid that the Volturi would learn the truth somehow, or at least continue to look for the rest of the Cullens and the twins. As far as we knew, Aro thought that Jasper, Emmett, Bella and I were all dead, but that would just make him try to find Carlie and EJ even more.

The kids were starting to quickly outgrow their clothes, and we actually could all really use new stuff, so we decided to venture out to the nearest town that sold clothing and other things that the kids needed.

At first, just the women wanted to go. They were all excited for a girl's shopping trip, but we all hated the idea of separating again, so we decided to _all _go.

We got to a small town where everyone spoke Portuguese, and besides a few wary elderly people, most were actually quite friendly. The market there was small, but not tiny, so we decided to spit up so that we weren't so noticeable, but we didn't go far enough away from each other that we couldn't defend each other if necessary.

Bella and I took the kids to the few clothing shops that were in the town, and the kids were so excited to be out of the jungle and around new people, that they were bouncing around as we walked, like a couple of normal kids. Bella and I held hands, and kept smiling at each other as we watched them jovially picking out what they wanted, and for a few brief minutes, it felt like we were just a normal unimposing family like everyone else in the little market.

Bella started looking at some hand woven blankets while I was keeping an eye on the twins, when an older woman complimented me on my family.

"You have beautiful children, you are very blessed," she said in Portuguese. I knew many languages thanks to decades of nothing to do but read, so understanding her wasn't a problem.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. Since I only killed two humans in Volterra, but had drained several animals since then, my eyes had already lightened back up, which I was grateful for. There was no way to get colored contacts where we were, so I would have had to stay behind or find some dark sunglasses like Bella did. Bella's newborn eyes had become more of an amber color, but she still wasn't comfortable showing them to ignorant humans.

"And you're wife is breathtaking," the woman said to me.

I smiled at her and nodded another thank you. It was strange that I couldn't just go with it when she called Bella my wife. I didn't deny it, but I couldn't confirm it out loud either. Bella was not my wife, being married was a human tradition and we weren't humans. But at that moment, as we pretended to be a human family with our children, I wished that we were. If I could have given up my immortality to be human again when Bella was, then I probably would have done it to be with her, because I knew she didn't want to become a vampire back then. But this was the first time that I actually _really_ wanted to be human.

I was tired of fighting, and I didn't want my family to be on the run for the rest of eternity, I just wanted to live a normal human life. I wanted a house and a car, hell, even a mundane job to go to every day. I wanted to drop my kids off at school and make dinner when they got home. I wanted to do trivial things like homework and soccer practice. I just wanted my family to feel safe, and for the first time ever, I thought of humans as the superior species.

* * *

***Cullens meet a new vamp coven next. Please Review***


	27. Ch 26 Visitors and Hunting Rings

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 26 –_Visitors and Hunting Rings_~

BPOV

Edward was amazing. It had been three months since leaving Italy, and he never once showed any sign that he wanted to return or betray us by contacting Aro. We all knew he was still bound to Aro, so everyone was cautious around him, but Edward understood.

As abnormal as it was for all of us to be in the jungle, the kids had spent more time there then they had anywhere else in their short lives, so to them, it was home. They were a little over a month old when we had to go in hiding, and we were in Volterra for about a week which was three months ago. Even though they just turned four months old, they were closer to the size of five year olds, and acted like they were eight going on thirty. They were smarter than most adult humans, but still acted like children most of the time, and both were cursed with very mature worrying and would often carry far too much weight on their small shoulders. They were still rapidly growing but because they were completely unique, we had no way of knowing their life span so all we could do was live in the moment, enjoy every second with them, and hope for the best.

We spent our days mostly playing with the kids, hunting, and just being together. Though we were in hiding, our time was peaceful and full of happiness as we all bonded and became closer than any coven ever had in the past. Like with any human family, we would often become irritated with one another, but the tiffs never lasted long and our love remained strong the entire time. Every single member of our family had a strong presence, and if anyone of them were to be lost for any reason, none of us would ever be the same. We were a cohesive unit, a single body, and we needed to all be together in order to function properly.

…..

Edward breezed behind me and let his hands trail down my thighs slowly as his breath washed over my neck and down my spine sending electric waves, pulsating over every inch of my body.

"I have a surprise for you," he said in his most sexy voice.

"Really?" I spun in his arms and tried to devour his sweet lips.

Edward moaned against my mouth, and lifted one of my legs to his hip so we were pressed against each other as close as possible without actually having sex. I could feel _him_ through our clothes, and I just wanted to retreat to the cover of the trees and have him ram into me, but he had other plans.

"Hold that thought, I want to give you my surprise first," he said with an eager smile, knowing I just wanted to have sex.

"Does the surprise entail you losing your clothes?" I asked him feeling way too aroused to think about anything else at the moment.

"No, but perhaps that can be dessert," he said seductively which surprised me and grabbed my curiosity.

I followed him out of camp, into the jungle, and the most delicious scent, apart from humans, filled the warm air. I could hear the pounding heart and automatically my mouth salivated with venom. We walked a few more yards, and then I saw it.

"It's not as good as human blood, but it's a distant second."

The black panther hissed at us ferociously, and I looked at Edward so completely in love as his smile took my breath away. As strange as it sounds, the fact that he caught the rare cat and controlled his own hunting instinct to bring it back to me, was as romantic as a human male making a candle lit dinner, flowers, and a box of chocolates, plus doing the dishes afterwards. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, but he pulled away after a few moments.

"Love, the blood does taste better when the animal is aggravated, but you should really put it out of its misery."

"Thank you so much," I said to him and he smiled again, then walked over to the cat and untied it. The cat took off running and I happily chased it. Edward knew I wouldn't have wanted to drain the animal while it was being restrained, no vampire would; the chase was half the fun.

I caught the cat and though it tried to fight back, it was no match for me and I killed it quickly. It was the best tasting blood that I had drank since becoming a vampire, but when I was finished, my hunger only grew for Edward so I tackled him to the forest floor. We had to be careful about ripping our clothes because a trip to the market to get new ones was an all day ordeal, so I took the few extra seconds and removed his pants gently.

Once all his glory was properly exposed, I quickly took off my own pants and climbed on top of him. We didn't waste any time with removing our shirts, I just started rocking on him as he met my movements with upwards thrusts. It didn't matter that we had sex on average three times a day, not including being attached most of the night, because every time was just as amazingly erotically orgasmic, and I knew without a doubt that we would never get bored of each other for the rest of eternity. I loved it the most when Edward would pound into me fervently, but every once in awhile, it felt so good for him to surrender control and let me take over.

After we both exploded into harmonious fulfillment, I pulled myself off of him and we put our pants back on.

"If I had known that panther blood was an aphrodisiac, I would have found more sooner," he said with a smile as he watched me buttoning my pants and straightening my hair with my fingers.

"Like we need aphrodisiacs," I said truthfully with a grin.

"How right you are," he said and kissed me again before grabbing my hand and leading us back to camp.

….

Jacob bought a football at the market, so he and Edward would take turns throwing the ball high in the air, and let the twins catch it. They loved that game, and it was good to see Edward and Jacob getting along and even laughing together.

But as much as they liked tossing the football around, they liked playing baseball even more.

"Alright, me and Jake are captains," Emmett announced. "I pick first."

"No way, you always pick first," Jake complained.

"Tough shit; my ball, my call."

"Fine," Jake relented.

"Ok, I pick….Carlie," Emmett said smugly knowing Jake wanted her on his team. She skipped over to him and they gave each other a high five.

"Rat bastard," Jake whispered, which only made Emmett smile. "Ok, I'll pick EJ then."

The teams ended being Jacob, EJ, Carlisle, and Jasper, vs. Emmett, Carlie, Edward and me. Rose, and Alice didn't want to play, and Esme decided to umpire.

Emmett was confident in our team because Carlie was a good pitcher, Edward could read minds, and I still had some newborn strength left.

"You're going down mongrel," Emmett said from left field as Jacob came up to bat.

"Whatever. Come on Carlie, give me your best shot," Jacob said to her because she was pitching.

Carlie was small, but she zoomed the ball over the plate faster than any major league player. Jacob, of course, missed the ball and eventually struck out. We all knew that he did it on purpose, but Emmett still liked to razz him on it.

"She already has you whipped pup; I can't wait to see the kind of leash she keeps you on when she's all grown up." Emmett yelled at him, which Jacob responded with a solid middle finger.

The kids hated when we went easy on them, so besides Jacob, and occasionally Edward, we all hit the ball to the best of our ability when the kids were pitching. Jasper went up to bat, and Carlie gave him an unsurprisingly perfect pitch, which he hit and sent rocketing through the trees. The little clearing of our camp site wasn't very big, so half the fun of playing baseball there was trying to not hit trees.

Edward went chasing after the ball, but he was back in a flash empty handed.

"Someone's coming," he said quickly, and grabbed Carlie. Carlisle took Edward's lead, and grabbed a hold of EJ protectively.

"Who is it?" Carlisle asked.

"A local coven coming to investigate us," Edward explained.

"Maybe we should run for it, they may tell the Volturi that we're here," Rose suggested.

"I don't think they even know anything about the Volturi, it doesn't seem like they've ever left the jungle," Edward said as we all listened for their sound of approach.

The eleven of us huddled close together defensively, and waited for our visitors who finally came into view. But they weren't vampires, at least not all of them.

"Hello, my name is Joham, and these are my children Lucia, Emilia, and Nahuel" one of the males said in a friendly manner.

We all stared at the coven with disbelief. _Could this vampire really be the others' father? _

"I'm Carlisle, this is my family," he said reservedly.

"We have been traveling around central South America, and came across your scents in the nearby town, so we decided to come say hello," Joham said.

"Yes well, we have been staying here for some time now," Carlisle told him.

"This is a strange place for an American coven to be stationed." Joham looked at the kids and smiled. "I see you have the same scientific curiosity as I have had. I truly never expected to encounter other hybrids."

"Nor did we," Carlisle said. "And all three of them are hybrids, I assume?"

"Yes. I have thoroughly enjoyed raising them, as I see you are in the process of doing yourself."

"The children were a happy but unexpected addition to our family." Carlisle spoke calmly, but I felt like a cyclone of emotions as I was listening to the conversation, and I could tell by Edward's intense focus that he felt the same way. I was just glad he was able to listen to their minds to get all the information that they weren't saying.

"Unexpected? How did their existence come about if you weren't trying to create them?"

Carlisle glanced at Edward and gave him a questioning look. Carlisle had no idea how much we would want him telling Joham about our children, so he was leaving it up to Edward.

"They were conceived without any knowledge that their existence was possible," Edward said coldly. Whatever he heard in their minds, made him very guarded and standoffish toward them, which immediately made the rest of us wary as well.

"Why would a vampire mate with a human, if not to try to conceive young?" Joham asked.

"Well, she was pretty sexy for a human," Edward said bluntly, which made Emmett start cracking up.

Joham smirked at him amusedly, "And so _you_ are the children's father?"

"Yes."

"And they are twins?" Joham asked fascinated.

"Yes." Edward was very irritated for some reason, but that just made me worry more.

"How long did the human carry them before they broke their way out?"

"Just over eight weeks."

"That is the same gestation as my children had. Huh, I thought that twins would have been different. And your children, are they venomous?"

Edward stared at him for a moment, and then looked at me. Our kids never bit anyone so we had no idea if they had vampire venom in their mouths, and strangely, we never really thought about it before.

"Are yours?" Edward asked him.

"The females are not, but my son Nahuel is. He created a vampire on his first day of life."

"Yo Wolfy, why don't you let the kids bite you and see if you die or not," Emmett said to Jacob quietly.

"Fuck off, asshole," Jake said back.

Joham looked at Jacob momentarily, with a perplexed expression on his face, but then dismissed whatever confusion he had about Jake's presence with our coven.

Joham and his children stayed with us for a few hours longer, and we all became overjoyed from the knowledge that the hybrids were all over a century old and stopped aging around seven years after their birth. _Our children weren't going to die from old age, at least not anytime soon._ That's all we cared about, so I hardly paid attention to anything else that was said between Carlisle and Joham.

Joham's hybrids didn't speak much, but when Nahuel tried to talk to Carlie, Jacob let out a very deep animalistic growl, which made Nahuel back off.

They left after a while, but made plans to come back for another visit, which Edward was annoyed at.

"What weren't they telling us?" I asked Edward, but everyone stopped to listen to his answer.

"Joham was a scientist in his human life, and his children are the results of his sick experiments. All of them killed their mothers, and Joham was considering the idea of waiting until Carlie is of age, then asking us to _breed_ her with Nahuel."

"What?" Jacob asked full of anger.

"Calm down Jake, he's not an aggressive vampire and he'd never take Carlie without our permission. He sees the hybrids as possessions, and steeling our _possession_ is beneath him." Edward said, and surprised all of us by actually using Jake's name instead of a derogatory nickname.

"He's not going to come anywhere near her…or EJ. If he wants to breed hybrids, then he could use EJ just as easily as Carlie," Jake said.

"Don't worry, I have no problem ripping his head off," Edward said casually.

"Let's not be haste," Carlisle said. "The children are both still young, so there's no need to think about killing anyone for something they haven't even done yet."

"It's the thought that counts," Jacob said.

….

The following week, we got some more unexpected visitors.

"Zafrina!" Jasper said happily, as the three Amazon coven members came into view.

"Jasper my friend, how are you?" Zafrina asked happily, then greeted Emmett and Edward as well. I only met them briefly before they left Florida, so they smiled a hello to me courteously.

"How did you find us?" Emmett asked concerned that perhaps we hadn't covered our trail well enough.

"We are friendly with Joham, and he told us of the strange golden eyed coven with their own hybrids," she explained. "We didn't know you had hybrids with you, but we knew you had the unique golden eyes so we decided to come visit."

Unlike Joham and his children, Zafrina and her sister actually stayed close by. They started coming to our camp almost every day to play with the children, and Zarina and Carlie would spend hours trading pictures in each other's minds. We didn't mind having them around, but it was a lot of vampires in a small area.

Edward also spent a lot of time with Zafrina when she was with Carlie. He was partly being an over protective father and watching their visions with them, just to make sure they were suitable for children. But he also felt a grateful connection to Zafrina, and gave her credit for saving all our lives in Italy.

…..

Rose and I had just finished bathing the kids in the nearby lake, and when we returned to camp, I was surprised that Edward was nowhere to be found.

"Alice, have you seen Edward?" I asked her.

"No, I thought he was with you."

I walked over to Carlisle and Esme and asked them, but they hadn't seen him either, in fact, no one had seen him.

"Look, I really don't want to be the one to bring this up, but between Joham saying that we were in South America, and the Amazons being here, it's safe to say that he knows where we are," Jake said.

"Ok, so what are you saying?" I asked frustrated.

"I'll go follow his scent," Jasper said quickly.

"I'm coming with you," Alice said, and they took off into the forest.

"What's going on?" I asked Carlisle.

"Has he shown you any signs that he may have the urge to return to Aro lately?" he asked me.

"No!" I said appalled that everyone automatically thought that just because Edward wasn't around, that he must have gone back to Italy. "He's probably just hunting, or something."

"None of us go out hunting without telling someone that we're going," Rose said.

"Well, he told me that he was going hunting, but that was long before he disappeared," Emmett said. No one usually went hunting alone, little alone gone all day from it. It was just too dangerous of a time to be alone and separated from the rest of the family.

"Look, it doesn't matter if he has some tiny remanence of a bond to Aro, he's not going to leave or tell Aro how to find us," I said positively.

"I agree with Bella," Carlisle said. "I have had many lengthy talks with Edward about all that, and I believe he genuinely doesn't have any desire to go back to Italy."

"His trail ended at the dirt road a few miles east," Jasper said as he entered our campsite.

"Oh my god," Esme said horrified.

"I think we need to pack up and leave immediately," Jasper said.

"Hold up," Emmett interjected. "There could be a perfectly good explanation for all this. I don't think we should take off on him so quickly. What if someone grabbed him, or he's stuck somewhere? I'm going over to talk to Zafrina, and see if she knows anything."

Emmett left, but he was only gone for about ten minutes before returning with Zafrina.

"We haven't seen him, but I sent Senna to ask Joham if any of them know anything. I truly believe that Edward is loyal to your coven, but if not, we need to find him before he makes it all the way back to Volterra. If Aro finds out that you are all alive, then he'll be on a warpath for sure."

"Momma, why did daddy leave?" Carlie asked me, but I couldn't answer her. I felt like my head was spinning and my vision was blurring. _Can vampires go into shock? _I fainted before as a human, and I felt eerily similar as I considered the possibility that Edward had been wanting to return to Volterra the whole time, and once he found out where we were, he left to go tell Aro. I felt sick, and numb, and just plain horrified. I needed Edward, and I knew I wouldn't survive losing him again.

Neither Alice, nor EJ with Alice's gift of visions, could see Edward anywhere; it was like he just disappeared. Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. We didn't have any clocks, so we had no idea how long he had been gone for, but the sun was getting lower in the sky and no one could decide what to do. If we stayed and hoped he'd come back, we risked the Volturi closing in on us, but if we left, it was possible that we'd never see him again and never know what really happened.

Senna came back with Joham a little while later. "I know where he is," Joham said quickly. "Well, not _where _exactly, but he asked to borrow my car a few days ago and told me to leave it by the road."

"He didn't say where he was going?" Carlisle asked.

"No, but he did ask a lot of questions about the area. He wanted to know how far we are from Rio de Janeiro."

"Oh no," Esme started crying tearlessly.

"Ok, we need to leave right away," Jasper said, already in action. Everyone started packing stuff into Carlisle's van and the kids were crying quietly for their daddy, but I couldn't move. I couldn't be without him again, it wasn't even physically possible.

They put the last few things away, and started getting in the van.

"Bella, let's go honey," Esme said softly.

I shook my head, unable to speak.

Carlisle got out of the car and hugged me gently. "I know this is hard sweetheart, but you have to think about EJ and Carlie. They need you, and we can't save Edward from how tightly he's bound to Aro."

"Yes we can, we can kill Chelsea," I whispered determinedly.

Emmett looked out the opened van window, then got back out of the car. "I'll go with you Bella."

"Emmett no," Rose said. "He already beheaded you once, what do you think is going to happen when Aro finds out that you're still alive?"

"We don't even know if killing Chelsea will release him. It actually could leave him bonded to Aro forever," Jasper said.

Just then, we all jumped at the sound of a car approaching. "That's my car," Joham said.

The SUV stopped just outside the camp, so we didn't see him, but my heart sang as I smelled him walking into the clearing.

"Uh…what's going on?"

"Edward!" I yelled and ran to throw myself at him.

"Hey, love," he said sweetly but was still confused. He kissed me, then looked up at Emmett. "Man, what the hell? I told you where I was going!" he yelled at him after hearing why we were leaving so fast from all their minds.

"No, you said you were going hunting, but that was early this morning and you didn't disappear until hours later," Emmett responded.

"Emmett, I said that I was going to be gone for a while, I even told you exactly where I'd be." Edward said irritated.

We all looked at the very confused Emmett. "You said that you were going to the hunting rings, and picking up humans, or something like that. I figured you may have been hunting humans again, and hey, I'm not going to judge you on it…What the hell are _hunting_ _rings _anyway?"

Edward sighed and brought his hand to his face frustrated. "Just, never mind Emmett. Carlisle, I have something in the car that will explain my whereabouts, can you please get it for me?" Carlisle nodded, so Edward grabbed my hand and led me away from the others.

"Where are we going?" I asked, overwhelmingly relieved that he was back and Ok.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. Bella, I'm so sorry you thought I took off, it was stupid of me to be so cryptic with Emmett and trust that he'd cover for me. I realize now that I should have just told Carlisle or Esme what I was doing."

"All I care about is that you're back," I said while molding myself to him and kissing his neck and jaw.

"I've just been thinking a lot lately, and all these strange thoughts keep replaying over and over in my head…."

"I know you're never going to be able to let Aro go completely, and that's Ok. What matters is that you fight it and stay with us." I tried assuring him.

He stared at me dumbfounded for a few long moments. "This has nothing to do with Aro, trust me," he said with his crooked smile that I loved so much.

"Well, what's going on then?" I asked concerned, but couldn't help smiling at his beautiful face.

"Bella…" he held both of my hands, and looked into my eyes deeply. "I always thought of vampires as being these demigod creatures who were far superior to all others on the planet. But then I met you, and everything that I thought I knew just came completely undone. I didn't think vampires loved, but I fell in love with you more strongly than anything I ever experienced before. And now here we are, with our kids and extended family, and even though we are homeless in the jungle and forced to drink disgusting animal blood, I have never been so happy. I didn't even know this kind of happiness was possible. I love you, and you're already everything to me, but I just need to ask you to do one more thing."

"I'll do anything for you," I told him with fervor.

He smiled again, and then shocked the hell out of me by bending down on one knee, and pulling out a ring box. "Isabella Marie Swan, I promise to love you every moment of forever. Will you marry me?"

I couldn't believe it. I never expected Edward to want to marry me, he didn't like most human traditions and I was OK with that. Marriage was just a piece of paper, which didn't mean anything to the supernatural world, but the idea of actually fulfilling that latent human desire, was suddenly very enticing. We were already connected in every other way imaginable, so this one last thing would just be the icing.

If I could have cried, I would have. Unable to speak in that moment, I nodded slightly.

"Is that a yes?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," I said, while pulling him up so he was standing again. I forced myself up in his arms, wrapped my legs around his waist, and kissed him passionately.

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***Any guesses as to what's waiting in the car? Please Review***


	28. Ch 27 People

**Finding Heaven**

A/N: Hey FYI, I just made a 'Finding Heaven' banner/collage, so please go to my profile page and check it out. There are pics of the twins, red eyed Edward, and even a very sexy sex pic of ExB. Sometimes I tend to overdo stuff like that by making it too busy, so I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

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~Chapter 27 –_People_~

BPOV

Having my legs wrapped around his waist, only allowed me to think of one thing….

"Bella, you know I love you, but this is going to have to wait; I still have that surprise for you back at camp." Edward said as I was trying to get his pants undone without letting him put me down.

"Ugh! I'd rather just stay here and make love for the rest of the day," I complained.

"We have forever to do that my love, but what's waiting for you has an expiration date."

"Ok," I said confused and slightly disappointed as I dismounted him. He just asked me to marry him, and all I wanted to do was bust down a few trees as we made hard passionate love.

"Wait, you didn't even look at the ring yet," he said as I started walking back towards our family.

"Oops, sorry," I said with a guilty smile. I hardly even remembered that he had a ring box in his hand when he got down on his knee to propose, we were both just swept away in the moment. He opened the box, and there nestled in a bed of black velvet, was the most beautiful diamond ring I ever saw before. I didn't know how many carats it was, because I never really paid much attention to that sort of thing before, but the circular cut diamond covered my finger from the knuckle, to where my finger bends. When I was little, I always used to play with costume jewelry, but not even the cheep plastic stuff could compare to the size of the diamond. The huge rock was surrounded by smaller diamonds, but they were hardly noticeable next to the goliath stone in the middle.

I had no idea where he got the money for a ring like that, but I wasn't about to question him on it either. After distrusting him enough for us all to pack up and almost take off on him, I decided that I'd never lose my faith in him again.

"It's so beautiful, thank you." We held each other for a little while longer before finally forcing ourselves apart so we could head back.

"I just have one question, what's hunting rings?" I asked, remembering that Emmett had mentioned something about that.

"Emmett just misunderstood me, I said that I was going to hunt for a ring," he said with a smirk, then lifted my hand to kiss the finger that the ring was on.

"Of course," I said incredulously. Emmett was in no way stupid, but he always seemed to be involved whenever there was a misunderstanding.

We walked hand in hand, and when we got within hearing range of the others, I froze in place.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Babe, the panther you got me before was really sweet, but there is no way I'm going to kill a human," I said as the sound and scent of humans filled the air. I knew it was a big occasion and all, but human blood was one bottle of champagne that I wasn't willing to pop.

His amused smile took my breath away. "I've sworn off the good stuff for life. It just does crazy things to me, and you know that I'm far too selfish than to sit by and watch you draining humans without partaking in the delicacy myself," he said lightly.

"Ok, well who's out there then?" I asked.

"You can't tell by the scent?"

I didn't really notice the scent beyond the fact that it was human, so I took a deep breath, then immediately took off running into the campsite.

"Mom!" I hugged her as gently as possible, but it was difficult after the emotional day that I had. I barely had time to process her hugging me back, when I noticed someone else who I never expected to ever see again. "Dad?"

"He forced me to tell him everything," Renee said with a smile.

I raised my eyebrows at him, "are you Ok?" I asked cautiously.

"It was a bit of a shock at first, but I've had time to let it all soak in, and then there was the four hour car trip with your, uh…_vampire_ significant other, so I'm as good as I can be. All I care about is that you're alright, come here kiddo," he said with open arms, so I hugged him carefully. "I missed you, sweetheart."

"I missed you too, daddy."

"Grandma, come see," Carlie said excitedly as she grabbed Renee's hand and pulled her towards the tent. Phil followed them silently.

"Ah, they're beautiful Bells. I just can't believe you're a mamma," Charlie said softly.

"Yeah, everything in my life is pretty unbelievable now."

"Hey-ya, Bella!" I turned to see Seth walking towards me with his mother and sister.

"Hey!" I said surprised, then looked at Edward questionably.

"Well, I figured Jake could use a few of his wolfy friends to hang out with for a little while. Besides, they're just extended family, or at least will be soon, right Charlie?"

Charlie looked at Edward shockingly. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, did he forget to mention he can read minds," Emmett asked him, which slightly startled Charlie as he took in Emmett's enormous size. "Don't worry about it Papa Swan, you'll get used to controlling your thoughts around him. Or, if you're like me, you just won't give a flying fuck what he thinks about what you think."

"Emmett!" Esme scolded him.

"What? It's not like the man's never met me before," Emmett said. Charlie knew the Cullens from when they lived in Forks, but it had been a few years and it was the first time that he saw them knowing that they were vampires.

"So, what did Edward mean by 'extended family'?" I asked Charlie.

"Well…" Sue came and wrapped her arm around Charlie's waist. "I asked Sue to marry me, and she said yes."

"Oh my god, I'm so happy for you," I said while giving Sue a hug.

"My turn…sis," Seth said, and then hugged me tightly. "I never really expected to have a vampire for a sister, but it's pretty cool if you think about it."

"It _is_ cool," I agreed.

"Wow Bella, a wolf brother and sister, and in about six and a half years, you'll have a wolf son-in-law too," Emmett teased me, but that crossed the line. I started chasing him, and he ran from me with his hand cupping his penis. I could have caught him, but despite his distasteful joke, I was far too happy then to let him get me all worked up. Everyone in the entire world that I cared about, were all sitting in the tiny piece of the huge rainforest. The twins were happily getting to know their human grandparents, all the Cullens were alive and well, and Jacob felt a little less alone because he had Seth and Leah. But above all else, Edward was still with us and he was never going to leave. Nothing could come between us again, and we were unquestionably going to be together forever.

Edward had an ulterior motive for bringing the four humans and two wolves to the rain forest; he wanted them to all be there for our wedding. Alice didn't know anything ahead of time about the wedding, and she was slightly perturbed because she realized that her lack of visions had something to do with the wolves. Between the three wolves, the hybrid twins, and the other hybrids nearby, Alice's visions were basically nonexistent. But no amount of irritation or anxiety would get in her way of planning a wedding.

"Alice, we're in the middle of the Amazon. What kind of wedding do you really think you can plan out here?" I asked her.

"If anyone can do it, it's Alice," Rose said mockingly.

We set up a couple more tents for our new guests who required sleep, and that evening we had a huge bonfire where the twins tasted their first roasted hotdogs.

"What's the matter kiddo, don't you like it? I thought all kids liked hotdogs," Charlie asked EJ, who was chewing his first bite with the look of disgust on his face.

"They pretty much have had a liquid only diet," Edward told Charlie with a grin.

"Oh?..._Oh_," Charlie said uncomfortably as he understood what Edward meant by _liquid diet_. "And, that's enough to sustain them? I mean, they are half human, right; don't they need human food too?"

"They can live on either," Edward said casually.

"Renee said you are all non human drinkers, so what kind of animals do you find out here in the jungle?" Charlie asked as he smacked a bird sized mosquito on his arm. He was trying to be indifferent about the situation, but it was obvious that he was uncomfortable and just trying to be supportive.

"Panthers," I said automatically.

"No way, I like the pythons. Their blood has a unique twang to it," Emmett said enthusiastically.

"Uh…neat," Charlie said in a mix of interest and unease.

Later that night, Charlie took me aside to speak to me in private.

"Bells, I didn't want to say anything around the others, but when Edward picked us up at the airport, he seemed very familiar to me. Of course, I thought that was a crazy because where would I have ever met him before? But seeing you with him made me think of something….is Edward the one who kidnapped you in Italy?" Charlie asked concerned.

"Yes," I said bluntly. "But as you know, he called you so I could go home."

"But he came back after you, and now…"

"Dad, he just came to check on me because he was worried, but he planned on going back to Volterra until we found out I was pregnant."

"So…you got pregnant when you were imprisoned by him in Italy?"

"He never forced me to do anything; I just fell in love with him and I would have been happy even if I never left that place. This was my choice, I wanted to be with him, and I wanted to have this life."

"Ok, but why did he kidnap you in the first place?"

"Oh, well, he wanted to kill me, but then he didn't because he worried about having to live forever without ever tasting my blood again…or something like that," I said casually.

"He told you that?" Charlie asked surprised.

"Yeah, he tells me everything," I said proudly.

"And why would you still want to be with him after knowing something like that?" He asked disturbed.

"Edward is a lot of things, and yes he's killed people before, but that was just his nature. No one hates lions for killing their prey. But he's changed for the better because I asked him to, and he loves me."

It was hard for Charlie to do nothing, and in fact be friendly with a confessed murderer, but he quickly realized that the supernatural have their own rules which were far beyond his comprehension. Charlie was comforted by the fact that Edward clearly had no desire to kill any of them, so he tried to think of him simply as his soon to be son-in-law and father of his grandkids. Edward was an amazing father who obviously loved the twins immeasurably, so Charlie forced himself to only see the positive aspects of him and the _person_, who he was becoming.

….

My parents and their significant others were only going to be in South America with us for two weeks, so we didn't want to waste any time. The next day, Rose, Alice, Esme, Renee, Sue, EJ, and I, all went on a much appreciated shopping trip to Rio. Rose planned it to be a girls day and expected Carlie and Leah to come as well, but they wanted to hang back with the guys, so EJ decided to hang with us. EJ was a very curious little boy, and he had never been to Rio, so he was willing to brave the multitude of stores just to see the city. I always hated shopping before, but it was nice spending the day with my mom and all the others, and getting out of the jungle for a while was good too.

"When are we going to be there?" EJ asked impatiently.

"Honey, I told you it was a very long car trip," I told him.

"It would be faster if you, Alice, and Rose just ran with us on your backs," EJ said with his arms crossed.

After the four hour car ride, we finally made it into Rio. Edward gave me a very strange plastic card and he said that it would work wherever I wanted to buy something. Again, I had no idea where the money on the card came from, but I tried not to think about it.

"Ooo, I like this one," Alice said excitedly as she pulled a very elaborate gown off the rack.

"We're getting married in the jungle, think_ simple_," I said to Alice.

"Simple is boring…how about this one?"

"I can't get married in a princess dress out in the jungle, it's just not practical."

"Ok, fine. We'll just have to save this for the next time you get married."

"Next time?" I asked confused.

"Yeah. Trust me; you're going to want to get married again after several decades. Every time we graduate from high school, Rose and Emmet always celebrate by getting married again."

"Oh, how nice," Renee said adoringly. For a woman who was brutally tortured by a vampire, she was surprisingly calm and very friendly with the Cullens, especially with Esme. Renee, Sue and Esme were looking through the store together, Rose was holding EJ's hand, and Alice was torturing me by holding every unreasonable dress up to me.

"Momma, I'm hungry," EJ said after a while.

"Yeah, I could eat as well," Renee said.

We all went to lunch in a little restaurant, but like the hotdog, EJ looked at his child's chicken platter with disgust. "Here," I put my plate of rare steak in front of him. I only ordered the food so he could have a few things to try.

EJ took a bite, and only looked mildly grossed out, but he was hungry so he ate it. Vampires could go a week comfortably without any blood, but the kids had to eat or _drink _everyday because they were growing so fast.

After everyone was finished, we made a life altering mistake when we went in a little boutique. We were all combing the racks and Alice had at least a dozen things she wanted me to try, when I looked at Rose, and she didn't have EJ with her.

"Rose, where's EJ?" I asked worried.

"He said he was going to shop with the grannies," she said referring to Esme, Renee, and Sue.

I walked over to them, but none of them had seen him since we went in the store.

"EJ!" I called to him, but he didn't answer.

I started to panic, so I followed his scent which led out back. When I got to the back alley behind the store, I saw him there, casually talking to a little girl. "EJ, what are you doing out here?" I asked him.

"This is my friend Alex, isn't she pretty?" EJ asked all doe-eyed.

The girl looked to be around ten years old or so, and she was smiling politely at EJ like he was just some little kid who was bothering her. EJ was the size of a five or six year old, so at ten, Alex wasn't very interested in playing with him but she was being nice.

"It's nice to meet you Alex, where's your parents?" I asked her.

"Oh, they're inside looking at wedding dresses for my older sister, but I was bored so I came out here."

"Oh, well I hope they know where you are so that they don't worry."

"Yeah, they know."

"Ok, good. EJ, say goodbye, we need to be going."

"No, I want to stay here with _Alex_," he said her name with a certain worship quality.

"It's getting late and we still have a very long car ride home," I told him.

"Okay," he said sadly, "bye Alex, don't forget me because someday I'll come back to marry you."

"Um, I live in the US, we're just here for my sister's wedding," she said hoping it would detour EJ's hopes for _their _future.

"That's Ok, I'll find you," EJ said confidently, then leaned into her and kissed her on the cheek, which she quickly wiped away.

I grabbed his hand and practically had to drag him out of the store. "EJ, you can't just disappear on me like that. Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

"Sorry momma, but don't you think that's she's pretty?"

"Yes EJ, she was very cute, but you are far too young to be thinking about girls like that."

"You'll see; I'm going to marry her someday."

We all collected our day's shopping finds, and headed back to the jungle. Alice was frustrated by my lack of decision on a dress, so she just bought one herself and refused to let me see it, saying she didn't want to hear my complaints. Not only did she buy new outfits for everyone, but Alice also insisted on buying decorations for the wedding as well.

We waited until the end of my parents' stay, before we had the wedding. Edward said he was going to take me on a honeymoon, so we didn't want to leave while my parents were still visiting. We also didn't want to involve a minister from the city, because there really wasn't any way to explain what we were doing in the middle of the jungle, so Zafrina asked one of the indigenous tribe leaders to come perform the ceremony.

That particular tribe wasn't like Jacob and the Quileute, they didn't live to the modern western standard, and they saw the man eating sisters as godlike so would often sacrifice members of the tribe to them. Zafrina and her sisters weren't vegetarians like us, but had a lot of respect for the tribe and said that they only went along with the sacrifices because it would offend them not to, otherwise, they never harmed any of the people there.

Edward and I were obviously not traditional, so we spent all morning tangled together out in the cover of the trees so Alice could decorate. We would have helped her with putting everything up, but she insisted that it be a surprise, and we weren't complaining.

"I think we should be getting back," Edward said as he pulled himself out of me.

I huffed, but didn't complain further. I wanted to be married to him, but I wanted him to stay inside of me even more.

We got dressed and started walking back, when we were met by Alice who was holding a blindfold.

"You have to be kidding," I said jokingly.

"Nope, turn around," she said and jumped on my back so she could tie it over my eyes. She didn't care about Edward seeing the decorations because he'd have to see them anyway as he waited for me to join him. She led me to one of the tents so I could get dressed and her and Rose could mess with my hair. As I looked at my dress for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a modest but still sexy dress that flowed like a river but caressed my curves as I moved. I had a small mirror in the tent, which wasn't big enough to see myself efficiently, but I didn't really care how I looked.

The sound of tribal music started playing softly, so Alice smiled at me. "It's time."

As I ducked out of the tent, I saw Carlie standing there with a huge grin on her face. She was wearing a softly flowing dress which was close to the same design as mine, but hers was a light pink color. She had a wreath of flowers in her hair that all looked to be the native flowers of the forest, which was absolutely beautiful.

"You look pretty mamma," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, you look pretty too." I told her after kissing her lightly.

"Now I have to redo your lipstick," Alice said quickly.

"You look beautiful," Charlie said as he came into the secluded area that we were in. Charlie was wearing a white button down shirt, with a black tie and pants. I recognized his outfit of being the same one he wore for all dressier events, and I wondered why Alice let him get away with that. I knew she bought him an outfit, but perhaps it wasn't his type of thing.

"Thanks dad," I said as we hugged each other.

Alice took Carlie's hand and walked towards the wedding location, leaving Charlie and me alone.

"I would ask you if you're sure about this, but I think that's obvious," Charlie said as he took my hand and pulled it through his arm.

"I'm definitely and eternally sure," I said with conviction.

Charlie led me through the trees, and then the tribal music changed. It wasn't exactly the wedding march, but it had a romantic tone to it, which was absolutely perfect. When we walked into the clearing, I was completely stunned. Alice had brought in tons of wild flowers, and along with our human and wolf family, the Amazon sisters were there, Joham and his children, and the whole indigenous tribe. The tribe had about two hundred members, and they were all gathered around, some in the trees and others sitting with the rest of the guests.

I never expected to have such a large wedding, but it was very intimate in a way, and full of love and camaraderie. I locked eyes with Edward at the end of the makeshift aisle, and I couldn't help but smile as he beamed at me. He wasn't wearing a suit because that just wouldn't make sense in the jungle, but he was wearing a white linen shirt with a Nehru collar, and matching beige linen pants. He was absolutely stunningly gorgeous. EJ had a similar outfit as Edward's, and he and Carlie were standing beside their father as I walked towards them.

As Edward took my hand from Charlie, the tribal holy man started chanting and singing in their native language. I didn't understand any of it, but even if he were speaking English, I still wouldn't have been listening. All I could think about was the surreal fact that I was actually marrying Edward. Even with everything that happened between us, the very human act of becoming his wife was the most wonderfully _unbelievable_ thing that had ever happened to me. The supernatural had become my norm, so being a vampire and having hybrid children felt very realistic, where marrying Edward was a complete fantasy.

For a moment, my mind brought me back to the first day we ever spent together, when he was just an Italian tour guide, and I was just an American site-seeier. I fell in love with him that day, and not even realizing that he was a monster could detour me. But as we held hands and I looked deep in his liquid topaz eyes, there was no trace of the demon he was for so long; we were nothing more than two _people_ in love.

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***Did you check out the collage on my profile, what did you think? Please Review***


	29. Ch 28 Emotional Blow

**Finding Heaven**

~Chapter 28 – _Emotional Blow_~

BPOV

There was no verbal agreement to be husband and wife, but when the holy man touched our heads, the tribal members all started hollering and cheering….that was good enough for me. I kissed him eagerly, and then the rest of the guests started cheering.

"Are we married yet?" I asked him against his lips.

"Yeah, we're married," he said with a half laugh, and then kissed me again.

The tribe spent the whole day prior to the wedding, hunting. It was their tradition to celebrate a union by sharing meat and laughter, so that's what we did. They knew that vampires don't eat, so they didn't expect any of the vampires to partake in the tradition, but all humans and wolf people joined in. Even though we didn't eat food, the tribe offered us human sacrifices, which we politely declined. Their leaders looked upset by our refusal, so Edward told them something in their native language, which seemed to make them happy.

"I didn't know that you knew their language," I said incredulously.

"Well, I don't really. I've been listening to their minds all day so I've caught on to some of it. It's close to Portuguese and Spanish but mixed with their own unique words, but they understood me enough."

"What did you say to them?"

"I told them that I'd drain them later when you weren't looking," he said with a smile. I just stared at him in disbelief, and he smiled back knowing that he couldn't fool me. "Ok, I just told them that it would please me greatly, if they would use their lives for procreating."

"No you didn't," I said skeptically.

"I most certainly did. They are a smaller tribe of only around two hundred, and the last thing they need is to lose people to vampire sacrifices."

"Wow, where's that self righteous, holier-than-thou, arrogant demigod that I used to know?"

"If anyone knows what happened to that guy, it's you."

"Oh really?" I asked with a smile, "and why's that?"

"Well, he disappeared when you took over my life. I think you scared him off, or maybe you just completely devoured him whole," he said with a smile, and then we kissed again for a while.

As a Quileute council member, Sue sat with their tribal leaders and Zafrina as a translator, and they discussed traditions and tribal protection tactics. The leader suggested to Sue that they find some vampires to protect them, as the Amazon sisters had done for their tribe for centuries. Sue laughed uncomfortably but didn't broach the subject further. The Quileute had wolves, they didn't need or want vampires, but she didn't need to tell them that.

It was the most perfect wedding ever, and I couldn't possibly want anything more. It was a mix of tribal traditions as well as our own modern western wedding aspects that we knew and wanted. But as much as I didn't want it to be over and my family returning to the US, I was anxious to go on the mystery honeymoon that Edward refused to tell me about. We said our goodbyes, kissed the kids and left, though I had no idea to where. We reached a harbor on the coast of Brazil, and I was surprised that we actually got on a boat.

"This is unexpected," I said with a smile.

"Well, what did you expect?" he laughed.

"I don't know, but not a boat."

"Well this is just our means of transportation. Would you prefer to swim?"

"No, the boat's fine," I said quickly.

He drove the boat strait out towards the horizon, and eventually we came up on a small island. It was absolutely beautiful, but the best thing about the island, was that it was private. There was a house on the beach, but we didn't even make it that far before we were stripping our clothes. The sun was high in the sky and our naked bodies were throwing the biggest rainbows, but it didn't matter because no one was around for miles.

After pounding into me on the beach for a few hours, we got semi dressed, and made it to the front doorway of the house before we had to stop and take a break from walking. He lifted me up and pressed my back against the door frame before thrusting back in me.

It really didn't matter that we were on the most beautiful island I had ever seen, because we could have been in the middle of a dump and I wouldn't have cared or even noticed. There were no distractions, no people, and absolutely nothing besides just the two of us.

We didn't get redressed for our entire time there. We had sex on every surface in every room of the house, and then we moved outside. We even had sex in the ocean, completely submerged under the water.

Even though it felt like we had just arrived, the week was quickly over and we both knew we had to get back. Our kids were still growing rapidly, and being gone for a week was like being gone for a month at least. Edward and I had forever to be together, so neither of us was too upset about leaving, after all, the forest always could use some thinning.

We decided to make love one more time in the boat before heading back. It was the most amazingly erotic week of my life, and I knew that someday I'd make Edward take me back there again. When we got back to the rainforest, we became anxious to see our family again, and started running.

"Mommy, daddy!" Carlie and EJ yelled together as we came in view. We both scooped them up, and Carlie put her petite hand on my cheek and showed me everything we missed, which thankfully, wasn't much.

"So, did you guys listen to grandma and grandpa?" I asked.

"They were angels," Esme said.

"No way, they were little terrors like they always are," Emmett disagreed.

"Uh oh, what happened?" Edward asked.

"They both ran away," Alice said while narrowing her eyes at them.

"Ran away?" I asked horrified, but when I glanced at Edward, he started smirking and looked like he was trying to hold in his laughter. It was sometimes frustrating that he could read minds, and therefore know everything before me. "Start explaining," I commanded while looking at EJ. Carlie neglected to 'show' me anything about them running away and only covered the fun things they did, so I decided to ask EJ instead.

"Mom, I just had to go see her again," EJ said while looking for sympathy and understanding from me.

"If by 'her' you mean that human girl Alex from Rio, then you're in a whole heap of trouble mister."

"Momma, she's so beautiful and I wanted to get her number so I could call her in ten years, but no one would let me go," his voice became bitter at the end.

"Call her? We don't even have a phone, and I doubt that she'll keep the same number for ten years anyway," I told him frustrated.

"EJ, as we told you before, it's just not safe to go in the city and we would never take you there without your parent's permission. Besides, the girl was on vacation from America, I'm sure she has left the city by now," Carlisle explained slowly.

"You're not even a year old yet, what are you thinking?" I asked EJ in disbelief.

"How far did they get?" Edward asked Carlisle.

"A few miles, but we caught them quickly enough."

"Ok, I get why EJ left, but why did you go?" I asked Carlie.

She shrugged. "I thought it would be neat to see the city. EJ said it was so much fun and I was upset that I missed it."

"Is Jacob still pissed?" Edward asked Carlisle.

"Why is Jacob pissed?" I asked.

"He's really just angry at himself," Carlisle explained. "He hates that the kids were able to get so far without his knowledge."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He's been pacing in the woods for a few days. He's staying in wolf form because he thinks he can keep a better track of them that way."

I shook my head at the situation, but decided to shrug it off. The little girl was probably long gone, and I was fairly certain that we'd never see her again. EJ and Carlie were definitely handfuls at times, but they were really good kids and I knew that they weren't going to run away again.

I went to kiss EJ on the cheek, but he had a blank stare on his face which scared the hell out of me. I looked at Alice but she didn't seem to be having a vision at all, so I quickly looked at Edward who had an equally blank expression as EJ's.

After a few agonizingly long moments, both of them snapped out of it.

"It's Peter, he's gone to the Volturi," Edward said quickly.

"SHIT! I knew we shouldn't have saved all of them," Jasper said angrily. None of us heard Jasper raise his voice like that before, so it made us all jump.

"I didn't see anything," Alice said bitterly.

"Who's Peter?" Esme asked.

"Peter was one of the final six fighters with Edward and me. He was torn apart and after Aro thought that they had all been burned, Zafrina and her coven put them all back together again. They all swore that they'd stay clear of the Volturi for the rest of forever, but I guess Peter decided to go to them after all," Jasper said bitterly. "I should have known better than to trust any of them by letting them live."

"This isn't your fault Jasper," Carlisle told him. "But now we have to warn Zafrina that Aro is coming after her, and we all have to leave because the Amazon is going to be the first place they look."

"So, how much does Aro know?" Jasper asked Edward.

"Well, he knows what Peter knows, which is that Zafrina used her visions to help the five left dismembered in the ring, escape. Aro knows that I was among those who were supposed to die there, so he's guessing that I somehow managed to save Bella and Jasper as well. He's searching out trackers and enlisted Eleazar's help. In the mean time, he has scouts coming here to try to find us."

"Why didn't I see the vision?" Alice yelled frustrated.

"I have a theory," Edward said.

"Ok?" she waited.

"The hybrids and wolves are blind spots for you because they're completely foreign to you, and with Jacob and so many hybrids around who are directly linked to our future, you're having a hard time seeing anything. You see humans and vampires because it's what you know; over time, I think you'll be able to see past the other breeds as well. EJ can see past them now because he is a hybrid, and he's always been around Jacob, so wolves are just as normal to him as vampires are."

"UGH!" Alice said frustrated, because she absolutely hated not having her visions.

"Well, it may be a good idea for EJ to keep Alice's visions for a while, if she can't see them herself," Jasper suggested.

"I agree. I just hope he doesn't see anything that would be too rough on him," Carlisle said.

"I'm going to stay close by him so I can make sure to see everything he sees," Edward stated.

"Where are we going to go now?" I asked as everyone going their separate ways.

"I think it would be wise to leave the Americas all together. Aro knows that we're from the US and Zafrina is from here, so we need to get as far away as possible," Carlisle decided.

"Ok, so we can't live in the Americas, or in Europe, and probably not Asia as well, so where does that leave us?" Rose asked.

"Australia?" Emmett guessed.

"I think we should consider Antarctica," Jasper suggested.

"No. We're not going anywhere," Edward said unexpectedly. "No matter where we go, it's only a matter of time until Aro finds a tracker. We can't run forever, eventually they'll catch up and by then we won't stand a chance. Right now, we've outsmarted the Volturi, and word of that will get out. There are many who might be willing to stand with us if they think there's even the slightest chance that we'll win.

"We can't win," Carlisle disagreed.

"Says who?" Edward said confidently. There were times that Edward's Volturi arrogant mentality got the better of him, and that's exactly what was happening.

"Edward, what about the kids?" I asked worriedly.

"Mom, we can take them," EJ said enthusiastically.

"No."

"Bella, think about it. Aro wants them more than anything, and he'll stop at nothing until they are in his possession. If we stand and fight, and IF we lose, the kids still aren't going to be harmed. But if we continue to run, and the kids reach full maturity, then he may not have as much of a desire for them anymore, and he won't try as hard to make sure they live through the battle." Edward tried convincing me.

"That's a lot of _ifs._" I said fearfully.

"Running isn't a viable option. What we need to be doing is finding anyone willing to fight with us."

"Edward is right; the more help we find and soon, the better," Jasper said.

"Are we all in agreement about staying to fight?" Carlisle asked.

Jacob whimpered from where his massive form was huddled in the trees.

"Jacob agrees, and the other wolves are on their way to help as well," Edward translated for us.

It was a huge emotional blow to go from being so happy on our honeymoon, to feeling like everything was falling apart. I locked eyes with Edward and I knew that he could clearly see the terror there, so he wrapped his arms around me tenderly. "It's OK love, we're going to get through this, you'll see."

We figured that we had a little time because Aro still needed to find a tracker, so Jasper set out to find some friends, and so did Zafrina and her coven. Joham came and also agreed to help, so he enlisted the covens that he was friendly with as well.

Everyone was in action, and the organized chaos was making me very anxious. We were preparing for the biggest battle in centuries, and all I could think of was the fact that there was no way that our family could make it out complete. We had grown so close, that the loss of anyone would be a blow that we would all take an eternity to recover from. But my biggest fear was for my children. _If we lost, and we probably would, then what kind of life would they have with the Volturi?_

However, I had no fear when it came to Edward surviving or not. He and I were a single being, so if he were to _really _die, I knew I would as well. We would live and die together, and as long as were joined in that way, I knew that we'd be OK.

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***As I said before, this story is winding down, only a few more chapters left. Once Edward **_**finds heaven**_** the story will be complete, but before that can happen, there has to be a battle for freedom. Please Review***


	30. Ch 29 Always

**Finding Heaven **

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I just always have trouble writing fight scenes, and I really wanted to write it from Edward's POV, because this has always been _his_ story, but it just didn't work. I had no idea how long this chapter would go on for before I wrote it, but I'm both sad and happy to say that this is the last chapter. Things are wrapped up and resolved into a nice HEA for Edward, but there will be an Epilogue coming soon, and it will be in Edward's POV. He deserves one last peek in his mind before the story is officially over.

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~Chapter 29 - _Always_~

BPOV

Jasper was gone for over a week, and we were all anxious to have him away, especially Alice. In the desperate time, we just wanted to be together as a family and we weren't complete without him. Even though Jazz had yet to return, many nomads found their way to our camp as a result of him enlisting their help, including Garrett. Word began to spread of the upcoming battle, and many came to stand with us, and surprisingly many came because of Edward.

Edward made a lot of acquaintances over the time he was a member of the Volturi, and even more allies during the Vampire World Games. So many were greatly impressed over the fact that Edward was able to be Aro's right hand man, and still betray him in the end. A vampire like that had to be even more powerful than Aro himself, so they were all taking our side.

Edward had been very busy since all the vampires had been showing up to help us. Most vampires were very traditional and believed in social hierarchy, therefore, they considered Edward to be the leader of our little band of rebels. So Edward had to spend much of his time organizing everyone and preparing for battle. However, Edward was also traditional, and even if others saw him as the leader, Edward was part of the Cullen Coven, and the coven's leader was Carlisle. So every idea, and every strategy that anyone came up with, was ran through Edward, and he brought the ideas to Carlisle.

Being vampires, there was no rest, and no end to the battle planning, so I would have to steel my husband away just to get some few precious moments alone with him.

"You know, I never found the whole 'power thing' sexy before, but I have to admit, everyone calling you _Sir _is really turning me on," I said seductively as I pulled Edward into the trees.

"You find it sexy because it's in your nature as a vampire to relish the prestige."

"No, I have to disagree. Carlisle doesn't seem to be basking in all his glory of being the highest ranked vampire around," I said as I kissed his lips.

"That's because he's had centuries of denying what comes naturally to him," Edward said as he started unbuttoning my pants. "All real vampires want power, but they don't want to die more, so they don't challenge those who they can't beat."

"Real vampires?" I asked as my pants fell to my ankles. "So what does that make Carlisle? A fake vampire?"

"Exactly." He let his hand slide under my panties and between my sensitive folds, which he began caressing as he continued to speak casually. "If one dismisses what their instincts tell them to do, then they are forced to adapt and change based on their new needs, thus becoming something else entirely."

"Edward," I said just as casual.

"What?"

"Stop talking."

He smiled at me and removed my panties before dropping his own pants. I lifted myself on him and we molded together as perfect as ever. His lips latched to mine, and our bodies and mouths moved together in perfect harmonious bliss. He moaned, which sent his cool breath down my throat, and I breathed him in until his sweet air completely engulfed my lungs.

When we both came with the intensity of a wildfire, he regretfully pulled out of me.

"No," I complained with a whimper.

"Love, we _will_ have forever for this, which is why I need to get back to planning."

"I know. I just hate being apart from you," I whined pathetically.

"Trust me, I hate being _apart_, from you too," he said with a sexy wink.

"So when this is over, you're going to take me back to the island again, right?"

"Baby, when this is over, I'll take you anywhere, and everywhere."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"You better," he said and then kissed me again before leading me back to camp.

"Momma, the wolves are here!" Carlie ran up to us, and grabbed my hand from Edward's. "Come see."

We followed Carlie to the other side of the clearing and there, in the trees, were fifteen giant horse sized wolves. Carlisle was talking to them, but it was a one sided conversation until Edward joined them.

"They aren't comfortable being in their human forms with so many non-vegetarian vampires around," Edward explained.

"That is completely understandable," Carlisle agreed.

"They said that once the battle is over, they'll give our allies a chance to leave, but if they ever see them again, the truce is over," Edward said with a smirk, and I heard a few vampires hissing behind us as a response.

"Uh, but we're still cool, right?" Emmett asked the wolves intimidated.

"Emmett," Edward said quietly so only we could hear him. "They're just overgrown dogs, don't show any fear."

"Sorry man, but I never knew there were so many of them. Those teeth could do some serious damage, especially if they gang up."

Edward shook his head at him, and then turned back to the wolves. "Yes Jacob, I'm going to make sure the kids stay far away from the battle."

Jacob wolf huffed, and Edward got annoyed. "I understand that, but there isn't a better solution. We can't hide the kids anywhere, because we can't leave them alone. They are just going to have to stay behind our line, and every single one of us will fight until we're dead to protect them. Esme and Bella will be right in front of them, and they will never leave their sights."

I absolutely hated that I had to stay the furthest behind. Of course, I wanted to protect my children, but the real reason why I was to be in the back, was because I was an inexperienced fighter. But I killed Heidi easy enough and I knew that if everyone else fell in front of me, I sure as hell wasn't going to lay down and die. Esme had never been in a fight before, so I was at least better off than her.

Jasper finally came back, and even though the battle was still ahead of us, we all relaxed a bit from being a complete unit again. The kids were having a blast being around so many new people, or vampires and wolf people in their case, and they definitely loved the attention they were getting. Though most weren't vegetarians, none had any desire for the kids' blood, for which we were all grateful. They hybrid blood smelled nothing like human blood, and wasn't appealing in any way so I felt completely comfortable with the kids being around all of them.

Everyone seemed to have a certain reverence for the twins. Life created, when there wasn't any life to give. Our guest vampires also were intrigued in Joham's hybrids, but because Edward was everyone's symbolic fearless leader, our twins were held on a higher level.

With every addition to our growing vampire – wolf army, we all became more and more confident in our chances to win. Our numbers were more than that of the Volturi, but we would _need_ to outnumber them if we were to stand any chance.

Edward and I were with the kids having a brief family moment, when we heard what sounded like fighting in the trees.

"Uh oh," Edward said quickly and disappeared in the forest. In sheer panic, I yelled at Rose to stay with the kids, and I took off after Edward.

When I got to the confrontation, I was horrified to see Jacob in wolf form snarling at Joham, as they fought violently.

"Damn it Sam, I don't care what he says, order him to back down!" Edward said angrily to the black wolf standing by. "I will make sure that Joham stops."

Suddenly, Jacob crouched down and Edward jumped on Joham's back to restrain him.

"Let me go, Edward. That disgusting creature thinks he has a claim on your female hybrid," Joham said heatedly.

"Well he doesn't, and neither do _you_. Jacob is our friend and if you can't handle it, then you can take your coven and leave. My _daughter_ isn't betrothed to anyone, and she will make that decision herself when she's fully matured."

Jacob snorted smugly as a response to Edward's comment. "Just keep your opinion on the matter to yourself, pup," Edward said to Jacob, who was still under Sam's alpha command to not move.

The next few days were a strained but peaceful cease-fire between the wolves and Joham's coven. Edward said that the only reason why Joham was even still with us, was because he was still hoping that Carlie would breed with Nahuel one day, so he wanted to stay in favor with us. I really had the urge to go rip his head off, but Edward was more practical, he suggested that we wait and see if he dies in battle first; which I agreed to with a smile.

"Daddy!" EJ yelled, so Edward and I rushed to his side. EJ and Carlie both had blank expressions on their face as Carlie watched the vision telepathically with her brother. Edward knew I was anxious, so he translated what was happening quietly to me.

"They're coming, they'll be here at the end of the week. All of them, the whole guard, even the wives. Eleazar found a new tracker for them, but he wants to stand with us. He and his coven will be here tomorrow."

"Hold up. They guy betrayed us, and he expects to just come here and stand with us? Yeah right," Emmett said mockingly. I guess I wasn't the only one listening to Edward.

"The vision was from him, Emmett. Aro is letting others make the decisions for him because he knows he's being watched. If Eleazar didn't specifically think about the plan for us, EJ would have never been able to pick up on it."

"I HAD A VISION!" Alice said excitedly as she ran towards us with Jasper trailing her. "The Volturi are coming at the end of the week," she said excitedly. Edward smiled at her, but Emmett and I just stared at her, appalled by her enthusiasm. "What?" she asked us defensively. "I'm just so happy that my visions came back, that's all."

Alice's yelling had sparked the attention of all those around us, so everyone started moving into action. There were still some last minute preparations to be made.

The next day, the Denali coven arrived and the tension in the air was thick. Carlisle was a very forgiving man, but Eleazar was hard to trust after everything he did. But Edward truly believed that Eleazar wanted to make amends, so we all trusted Edward enough to trust Eleazar, though it was still difficult.

The week flashed by in a blur, and I feared that my time with my family was concluding. Many were hopeful for a positive outcome, but I just wasn't so sure. With Alec's gift alone, we could all be wiped out in a single moment and not have the chance to thin out their numbers whatsoever.

"Edward, I love you," I whispered to him as we all took out defensive positions.

"No goodbyes my love; we will get through this….but I love you too. And if we do die, it would have all been worth it just to experience your love, even for a moment."

We told the twins that we loved them, and kissed them before Edward moved to the front of the line. The kids both held my hands as we waited anxiously for our enemies to appear. I had no idea if they were going to charge us immediately, or if it would be a long drawn out ordeal, but I had a feeling it would be the latter. Aro was very formal and he liked to mess with people's mind, so I figured he would want to make so longwinded speech before the fighting started….and I was right.

The Volturi came right on schedule, and positioned themselves in front of us.

"Edward my dear friend, how nice to see you…alive," Aro said condescendingly. "Never, in all the centuries that I have been unliving, have I ever been so betrayed."

"Well, you should really learn not to mess with people's mates. Perhaps if you didn't force me to hurt Bella, I might have stayed loyal to you. You know Marcus, he did the same thing to you; well not the same thing exactly, but he had your mate killed and then bound you to him by Chelsea."

There was a low murmur among the guard, and Marcus' face fell, just a tiny bit.

"You can overcome it you know, you can fight the ties that bind you," Edward said directly to Marcus.

"Enough!" Aro commanded. "I will not stand for betrayal."

"You should really talk, because you have betrayed more in your time, than anyone else," Edward told him bitterly.

"Stand down Edward, and I may just let some live. But if you challenge us, I will kill everyone, including your children."

I couldn't help the hiss that escaped my lips, but I wasn't the only one. Carlie and EJ had enamored everyone there, and they were all willing to die for them.

"Well, it seems everything has been decided then….Alec," Aro said sadistically.

"Attack them!" Edward yelled quickly so the front two lines started running, but then they all fell to the ground and laid there blind and deaf, and feeling nothing.

Aro smiled and watched as Alec's wave of sense eliminator covered everyone slowly, until everyone was overcome by the cloying haze. I was completely helpless as I saw my family huddled on the forest floor, and Aro cocked his head at me curiously.

"So, it would appear that you are immune, as are your children," Aro said as he glared at me. EJ, Carlie, and I were the only ones standing, and I didn't have time to worry about my family lost in their own abysses in front of me, I needed to think. It was obvious that EJ had taken my shield ability, and I assumed that somehow Carlie was protected because their minds were connected, so all I needed to do was figure out how to protect everyone else as well. I couldn't fight off the whole guard, and my kids most certainly couldn't fight either, so I needed to find another option and I needed to do it quick.

"Felix, Santiago, start ripping, and Corin start a fire," Aro instructed them.

"NO!" I screamed out as Felix lifted the very still Edward first. My anger started boiling, and my vision turned red. I could feel my shield then, as if it was another limb, and I extended it away from my body and shot it like a rubber band, right at Edward. He woke up immediately, and caught Felix by surprise, allowing him to overpower him and remove his head in one swift motion. I smiled and extended my shield over the rest of my family and allies, and they all recovered themselves and started fighting.

It happened so fast, that I wasn't sure if I'd ever been able to figure it out if it wasn't a matter of life and death, but now that I knew how to use it, my shield was as easy to use as any other muscle in me.

But I had to concentrate, so Esme grabbed the kids and pulled them back. Without Alec's and Jane's abilities, the Volturi had to do something they rarely did…fight.

We outnumbered them, but they still out-skilled us and quickly started taking our allies out. Each one of their best fighters were equal to two of most of ours. Our best were Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Garrett, and no one could get close to them, but they too had a weakness and the Volturi knew how to use it. Any one of them would die for our family, so whenever anyone of us was threatened, Edward, Jazz, and Em would leave what they were doing to help.

The wolves were an added bonus for us. Alone, a wolf wasn't as strong as a vampire, but in pairs or more, they easily took them down and they completely took the Volturi by surprise.

One by one, our friends started falling, and though our family managed to protect each other and were all still fighting, I didn't see how we could win. Although I was in back, I saw Santiago rushing to me knowing that if he took me out, the battle would be over. I didn't think I could win against him, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold my shield up while fighting, but there wasn't anything I could do. It all happened in slow motion, but it was over in a flash. Santiago stuck his hand out to me, and right before he made contact with my neck, Edward grabbed him from behind and ripped his head off.

"Are you Ok?" He asked quickly as he reached out to caress my cheek. I loved Edward more than anything, but his actions confused the hell out of me. _Why was he being all affectionate in the middle of an intense battle? _

"Edward!" I yelled at him as I saw Felix coming up behind him, but Edward just smiled. I looked back at Felix and suddenly he dropped to the ground. "What the hell?"

"Don't worry love, I told you we'd be fine."

I looked around and saw all the Volturi fall down at the same time, and everyone on our side looked just as confused as I was.

"What happened?" I asked relieved, but confused.

"Don't worry Momma, I got um," I heard EJ say from behind the fallen Volturi.

"He truly is an amazing boy," Edward said proudly.

"What?" I asked confused and in shock.

"EJ snuck away from Esme and he managed to get to Alec and steel his power," Edward explained.

"HELL YEAH! That'a boy EJ!" Emmett yelled excitedly, and everyone started cheering. "Come on Jazz, let's get ripping."

Emmett picked up Alec first "What now bitch, not loving a taste of your own medicine, are you?" he said cockily and then ripped his head off.

"Wait, I get to kill Jane!" Rose said excitedly.

The fire blazed with the bodies of the Volturi as the kindling, and they all left Aro for last, which Edward took the honor of destroying, and we all celebrated our victory.

"Well, Mrs. Cullen, I think our forever has been secured," Edward said lovingly to me as we gazed at the fire. Edward had decided to take the Cullen last name, which the kids and I were completely thrilled at.

"I don't know Mr. Cullen, there's always evil brewing in the darkness," I said as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Nope, there's no evil in heaven," he said with a wink.

"Heaven?" I asked confused.

"There will always be darkness and terror in the world, but we won. We beat the evil that was standing between us, and no matter what comes our way in the future, we'll stand together like we did today and nothing can hurt us. The vampire that I had always been before you came into my meaningless eternity was created by Aro, and now that he's gone, the man that I have now become will live forever with you in our own piece heaven on Earth."

"Wow, that was poetic," I teased him. "But why don't we go off into the trees, and I'll show you what heaven really is."

"Bella, I sure am surprised by you," he said in a mock scolding tone.

"Why?" I asked offended.

"Many vampire have died here today, and all you can think about is having sex?"

"Well, are all the Cullens OK?" I asked.

"Yes."

"How about the Amazonians?"

"Yes."

"How about the rest of Jasper's _closest_ friends?"

Edward chuckled once. "Yes."

I shrugged. "Then I'm ok. Let's go make love now, and when we're done, we'll help Zafrina put back together whoever wasn't burned. There's nothing we can do about those lost forever, and we'll mourn them later."

Edward smiled at me. "Being a vampire has made you cold," he said lightly.

"So, come warm me up," I said seductively and kissed his lips before letting my mouth trail to his neck, where I bit him.

He growled at me erotically, and grabbed my arms tightly in his hands to restrain me. "You know, that stings and it's going to leave a scar," he said forcefully.

I smiled and said, "I know." I broke out of his grasp and took off running, knowing he would _always_ be right behind me.

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***I'm not great at fight scenes, so I hope you enjoyed it and didn't feel like it was too rushed. There will be an Epilogue coming soon, so stay tuned for that. Please Review***


	31. Epilogue

**Finding Heaven**

Epilogue

EPOV

I never thought I'd enjoy life as an inferior being, and at times, I didn't….

"Mr. Masen, I'd like you to recite the last line of the movie, just to prove you were paying attention."

"Yes, Mr. Birdy. '_Will I set up my everlasting rest, and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last; arms, take your last embrace, and, lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death.'"_

The teacher stuttered, thinking I wouldn't have the proper answer for him and was surprised that I did. I read that play and had it memorized, long before Mr. Birdy was even born. Stupid predictable human.

"Eyes forward people," the teacher said bitterly.

But every time I'd get annoyed by the slow ramblings of humans, Bella always seemed to know and she'd grab my hand and squeeze it securely; just a subtle reminder of how truly amazing my life really was.

Being around humans was easy, and even though I was pressured into posing as a brainless high school student against my will, I learned to just go with it and try to make the best of the situation.

"You know, I haven't had human blood in seven years, but I'd be willing to make an exception for him," I told Bella as we walked to the cafeteria after class.

"Oh, Mr. Birdy's not so bad."

"Not so bad? That gluttonous pig is a daft moron. I have shoes older than him and he just thinks…"

"You do not have shoes older than him," Alice said insulted as she danced up behind us.

"Whatever, you know what I mean. And tell me again why I'm a junior?"

"Someone had to be the younger brother," EJ said cockily as he sat at our usual table. He picked up his soggy school made hamburger, and took a huge bite while the ketchup dripped on his plate. "Oh, that's so good."

"You're disgusting," I said as I stared at my slob of a son who was pretending to be my _older_ brother.

"Oh Eddie, it's not my fault that you can't fathom the wonders of a hamburger," EJ said with a mouth full of food.

"I really don't want you hanging out with Jacob anymore," I told him.

"You're the one who lets him tag along with us everywhere we go," he rebutted.

EJ and Carlie had slowly become more accustomed to human food. Carlie still preferred animal blood, but EJ was equally hungry for both. He and Jake would often have eating contests to see who could eat the most, and that was the _only_ time Emmett ever wished he ate human food.

"Hi daddy," Carlie said quietly as she kissed me on the cheek.

"What do you want?" I asked suspiciously. She only ever called me 'daddy' in school, when she was trying to _sweetly_ ask me for something.

"A couple of my friends are having a get together-party thing, and I was hoping I could go?"

"Is your shadow attending?" I asked her, but looked up at Jake for an answer.

"Won't let her out of my sight," Jake said quickly.

"Yeah, if any of the big bad humans try anything, Jake will be sure to phase and scare the shit out of them," EJ laughed from where he was sitting.

"Daddy please?" Carlie asked again.

"Bella?" I asked her. It had been far too long since I was a human teenager in school, so I left a lot of those types of decisions up to Bella.

"I think it's Ok, as long as Jake stays with you," Bella said while winking at Wolfboy.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Carlie said and then grabbed Jake's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.

"AHHH! Stop!" I said disturbed. Carlie and Jake had officially started dating a few months prior, but as annoying as it was, I was actually somewhat supportive of the relationship. If Carlie was going to date anyone, then I was happy that he could protect her if necessary, and the fact that I could hear his every thought, and he knew I could, was definitely a bonus and kept him in line.

It was our second year at that high school in Minnesota, and after a Cullen family vote, it was decided that I would play the younger role. The story was that Carlisle and Esme were a young couple who adopted and fostered for a bunch of teens. Rose and Jasper were the Hale twins and were currently seniors. Emmett and Bella were Cullens; Emmett was a senior and Bella was a junior. Alice, Carlie, EJ and I were all Masens. EJ and Carlie were twins and seniors, Alice and I were both juniors, but Alice was supposed to be the youngest, but we claimed that she just skipped a grade.

And then there was Jacob. Emmett suggested that he stay in wolf form and we tell everyone that he was just an overgrown family pet, like Clifford the big red dog. But then we explained to Emmett that Clifford was a cartoon, and no human would believe that story, so we finally decided to make Jake a foreign exchange student living with our family. No one could stomach the idea of him actually being an official member of the Cullen family.

"Well, I better be going to the library to check out a book before lunch is over," EJ said casually, and patted me on the back while touching the skin on my neck subtly.

"Uh ah! Bella?" I said quickly, so she grabbed EJ's hand and released it.

"That's not fair," EJ said quickly.

"You don't need to be reading anyone's minds while at school," Bella said to him.

"I just want to hear what this girl in my Spanish class thinks about me."

We decided when we started going to school, that it was better if EJ had to go through school and learn like everyone else, though he already knew more than all the teachers combined. He was already stronger and faster than humans, reading minds would have been an additional unnecessary advantage. We couldn't stop him from reading his sister's mind, but we could stop him from reading his teachers'.

"Well, now you can keep her protected under your shield," I teased him. Of all the abilities EJ has had, his mother's was his least favorite. He thought it was awesome when she saved us from the Volturi, but since no one was after us anymore, he thought hers was boring. Although he did like that I couldn't read his mind with it.

"On second thought, Jasper?" I said with a smile, and he grinned and grabbed EJ's arm.

_You suck dad_ – EJ thought bitterly to me, before a wave of resentment washed over me.

"Oh, the woes of being a teenager," I said mockingly.

EJ didn't really have any desire to go to the library, so he sat back down and sulked.

We all mostly kept to ourselves, except the half human twins who relished the social aspects of high school. Carlie was friendly to everyone, much like Alice, but Carlie actually spent time with humans outside of school, of course she never actually brought kids over to our house. She said it because she didn't want anyone to see our lavish lifestyle, but being a mind reader, I knew she secretly worried about one of us losing control and killing them.

EJ was a little more withdrawn from humans like the rest of us, but he was a little girl crazy, and he was always willing to flirt with a pretty face.

Bella had learned her shield better over the years, and she was actually able to lift it away from herself so I could hear her mind.

_Maybe we should skip the rest of the day and take advantage of the empty house_- she thought seductively. I smiled in anticipation as she started showing me images of the things we could do. Bella and I rarely made it a full day of school without meeting somewhere to have sex. Of course, sex in a school bathroom or empty hall was less desirable because I hated having to use so much restraint in order not to bust the walls down.

"Or, we could find an obscure location outside, and not worry about turning the house into rubble," I said quietly, but of course everyone at our table could hear it.

"Ah, that's disgusting," EJ said.

Emmett smirked at EJ's discomfort "You only think that my little _padawan learner_, because you have yet to feel the amazing electrical bliss of making sweet hard…"

"Ugh, shut up!" EJ said to him irritated, Emmett just laughed.

"Who are they?" I heard an unfamiliar voice say from across the cafeteria. I usually was able to tune out most of the clatter of human's voices and thoughts, but for some reason, the new teen girl's conversation caught my attention.

"The Cullens. They're Doctor and Mrs. Cullen's foster kids, they mostly keep to themselves," Angel Webster explained.

"Yeah and they're really weird, because they're all together: like together, together," Jennifer Sternly, the school gossip queen told the new girl.

"Jen, they're not actually related," Angel said.

"But they live together, it's creepy," Jennifer told her, and then proceeded to tell the new girl each of our names, followed by our couplings.

EJ abruptly got up, and I heard in his mind that he was going to the library anyway, because Emmett was annoying him. When EJ walked past the girls, their attention turned to him.

"Who's that?" the new girl asked.

"That's EJ Mason. He's with the Cullen's of course, and he's totally hot. But you should stay away from him, he goes on a lot of dates, but never has relationships," Jennifer explained.

I listened harder, and fought through all the other noises in the room, to try to hear what the new girl was thinking.

_I've seen him somewhere_- she thought curiously, and then her mind drifted to a time when she was younger on vacation. She was ten, and her sister was getting married in…Brazil. SHIT!

_But that kid was younger than me, so he couldn't be the same…even though that kid's name was EJ…wasn't it?_ – She started replaying her meeting with EJ who was absolutely smitten with her at that time. It took years for EJ to stop talking about Alex, and when I finally thought he got over her, she shows up at our school.

I wondered how long it would take for EJ to realize that his first crush was currently attending school with us, but he was in the _dawn _of his life, and he had plenty of time to figure out everything.

Bella and I left school early, and busted down a few trees. No matter how much time passes, we can never seem to get enough of each other, and I know we never will. Whenever I look back on my life, I think of it as memories from two different people. The first century of my life was lived by a vampire who didn't really care about anything. I snubbed my nose at my sister who chose a different path for herself, but only in falling in love with someone completely wrong for me, did I find the right journey for my life.

I have become a completely different _person_, and my life went in a completely different direction then I ever would have considered. And though the old me would have been disgusted with how my forever has turned out, I can't imagine a more _heavenly_ existence….

**THE END**

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***I hope you enjoyed the ending. As of now, I have no plans to write a sequel involving EJ and his love; I figured you could come up with your own conclusions. But if anyone has a desire to use my characters and write a sequel yourself, PM me and I'd be more than happy to promote it with this one. I've read many great plot ideas in some of your reviews, and I'm sure any of you could come up with a great story.**

**I have several other stories that I've written, so check out my profile and see if any sound interesting to you. **

***Thanks so much, and I'd really appreciate one more review ;)**


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